Saffron chicken with coriander dip
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- plus 1 hr marinating
- Easy
- Serves 4
Marinate cheap chicken thighs with lemon, thyme and garlic and roast until crispy - finish with honey and pistachios for sweetness and crunch
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs , skin on
- zest and juice 2 large lemons , plus extra wedges to serve
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- small bunch thyme , leaves picked
- 4 garlic cloves , chopped
- 100g crème fraîche
- small pack coriander , finely chopped
- pinch of saffron , soaked in 1 tbsp warm water
- 2 tbsp clear honey
- 50g pistachios , roughly chopped
Method
- STEP 1
Make 2 cuts in the skin of each chicken thigh and place in a non-metallic dish. Mix the lemon zest, 4 tbsp lemon juice, the olive oil, thyme and garlic, and pour over the chicken. Cover and chill for at least 1 hr.
- STEP 2
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Take the chicken from the marinade, pat dry and season. Heat a large non-stick frying pan to medium high, add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook for 3-4 mins until golden brown.
- STEP 3
Lift the thighs into a roasting tin, skin-side up, and bake in the oven for 20 mins. Meanwhile, mix together the crème fraîche, coriander, 1 tbsp lemon juice and seasoning.
- STEP 4
Mix 1 tbsp lemon juice, the saffron with its soaking water, honey and pistachios, then spoon over the chicken and bake for another 5-10 mins. Serve the chicken with the dip and extra lemon wedges.
