ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS
Roasted chicken thighs paired with grapes and caramelised shallots – so delicious! Serve on a creamy pumpkin/potato mash and top with feta and rocket.
Have you tried roasting grapes before? They’re wonderfully sweet and juicy, and make such a great combination with the crispy skin chicken.
This is a fairly easy weeknight meal, but also one I would happily serve up to guests. The grapes look a little more impressive when roasted in bunches, but are much easier to eat if you remove the stems. I’ll let you make the call on which is more important – looks, or ease of eating!
ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS
Roasted chicken thighs paired with grapes and caramelised shallots - so delicious! Serve on a creamy pumpkin/potato mash and top with feta and rocket.
Ingredients
CHICKEN
- 3 shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup brown rice flour (40g)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1.4 kg chicken thighs (6 thighs / 3lb 1oz)
- 1 cup boiling water (250ml)
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (80ml)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp chicken stock powder
- 500 g seedless red grapes (1lb 2oz)
- 100 g sugar snap or snow peas (3.5oz)
- 50 g feta (1.8oz) (optional)
- 60 g Mediterranean rocket (2.1oz)
MASH
- 1 small butternut pumpkin (500g / 1lb 2oz)
- 500 g potatoes (1lb 2oz)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp butter
Instructions
COOK CHICKEN
Thinly slice shallots and crush garlic. Combine rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place flour on a plate. Rub a tablespoon of oil all over chicken, then rub in herb mixture. Dip chicken in flour to lightly coat. Preheat oven to 200ºC (390ºF) fan bake.
Heat remaining half tablespoon oil in a large frying pan on medium-high. Add chicken, skin side down (do this in two batches, to avoid overcrowding the pan) and cook for 2 minutes, until skin is golden. Flip over and cook for 2 more minutes. Place on a large roasting tray with small sides.
Reduce heat to medium, then add shallots and garlic to pan. Cook for 2 minutes, until soft. Pour in water, vinegar, sugar and stock powder. Simmer for 2 minutes. Carefully pour around the chicken in the roasting dish. Bake for 15 minutes.
COOK MASH
While chicken cooks, peel pumpkin and potatoes and cut into large cubes. Place in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cook for 20 minutes.
FINISH CHICKEN AND MASH
Add grapes and peas to tray with chicken. Grapes look prettier on their stems but are easier to eat if you remove them - up to you! Cook for a further 15 minutes, until chicken is crisp and fully cooked.
Drain pumpkin/potatoes well. Add milk and butter and mash until smooth (you can use a stick blender for a really smooth consistency).
SERVE
Divide mash between warmed serving plates. Top with chicken, grapes, peas and shallots. Drizzle over pan juices, then add crumbled feta and rocket.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: A Pinot Noir.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use gluten-free chicken stock powder.
INGREDIENT SWAPS / NOTES: You could use chicken drumsticks instead of chicken thighs. For a healthier option, use 600g / 1lb 5oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs (reduce first time in oven from 15 minutes to 10 minutes). If you don’t have brown rice flour, cornflour or plain flour can be used instead.
STORING AND REHEATING: Store chicken and mash separately. Chicken is best reheated in the oven to get that nice crispy skin. Mash can be reheated in the microwave. Otherwise, for an easy lunch, store individual portions in containers in the fridge and reheat in the microwave. Add feta and rocket just before serving.
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