Ingredients
| 8 chicken thigh cutlets (bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, sometimes called chicken ‘chops’) | |
| coriander leaves, to garnish | |
| lime (or lemon) cheeks, to serve | |
| CHICKEN MARINADE | |
| ⅔ cup (160ml) extra virgin olive oil | |
| finely grated zest of 1 lemon | |
| 40ml freshly squeezed lemon juice | |
| 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped | |
| 10g smoked paprika | |
| 10g ground cumin | |
| 10g ground coriander seeds | |
| 1 teaspoon ground turmeric | |
| 1 teaspoon cinnamon | |
| ½–1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes, or more to taste | |
| ⅓ cup (a large handful) chopped coriander leaves | |
| 1–2 teaspoons sea salt flakes | |
| freshly ground black pepper, to taste | |
| MINTED YOGHURT | |
| 1½ cups (420g) thick Greek-style yoghurt | |
| 1½ teaspoons freshly ground cumin, or more to taste, plus extra, to finish | |
| a very large handful mint leaves, finely shredded | |
| a splash extra virgin olive oil, plus extra, to finish | |
| 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes, or more to taste | |
| mint leaves, to garnish (optional) |
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Instructions
| 1. | Put all the chicken marinade ingredients into a large bowl and give them a thorough stir to make a paste. |
| 2. | Add the chicken cutlets and swish them about so they’re really well coated in the marinade (it’s a good idea to don a pair of prep gloves and do this with your hands, as this way you can really work the paste into the chook without dyeing your fingers a rather startling shade of orange!). |
| 3. | Line a container that will hold the chicken comfortably with a plastic bag. |
| 4. | Pile the chicken into the bag, scrape in any leftover marinade as well, then knot the bag tightly. |
| 5. | Seal the container and pop it in the fridge for at least 5 hours or, preferably, overnight (the longer you leave the chicken, the more imbued it will become with the spices). Give the bag a good squish occasionally. |
| 6. | When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat your oven to 190°C. |
| 7. | Line a large, shallow baking tray with foil, then baking paper. |
| 8. | Sit the chicken cutlets in the tray, skin-side up, in a single layer. |
| 9. | Make sure the chicken is well coated in the marinade. |
| 10. | Pop the tray in the oven and roast the chicken for about 40 minutes or until it’s deep-brown and cooked through but tender. |
| 11. | While the chicken is cooking, make the minted yoghurt. |
| 12. | Simply combine all the ingredients, except the mint leaves to garnish, in a bowl and thoroughly mix them together. |
| 13. | Taste it and add more of anything you like – salt, oil, mint or cumin, whatever makes it taste just right to you. |
| 14. | Scrape the mixture into a small serving bowl, cover it and pop it in the fridge. |
| 15. | Just prior to serving, drizzle it with a tiny bit of extra olive oil and sprinkle with a bit more cumin to finish. Scatter over a few mint leaves, if using. |
| 16. | Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and spoon a little of the cooking juices over the top. |
| 17. | Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with lime cheeks and the minted yoghurt. |
Recipes extracted
from A Year of Sundays
by Belinda Jeffery,
published by Simon
& Schuster, RRP
$50. Photographer
Rodney Weidland.
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