This is a very simple, but tasty dish.  So tasty in fact, I have already made it twice.   I discovered it in the latest issue of Cuisine magazine.  The first time I made it I used drumettes and the second time, Marylands.  The Marylands were better.  Whatever you use, make sure you buy chicken with the bone in and the skin on.

I love the fact that it is served with silverbeet.  We have silverbeet everywhere at the moment and it is great to have a use for it.    As I have mentioned before I am not a great fan of silverbeet but, served with mint-flavoured yoghurt, it is quite nice.  The first time I didn’t drain the yoghurt (the recipe does not say to do so) but in the picture in the magazine the yoghurt looks very solid and it was much nicer when it was drained.

The recipe is by Sue Fleischl.  It is from Cuisine magazine, Issue 154.

Herb & Chilli Chicken with Turmeric Potatoes – Ingredients:

• 60 mls olive oil
• 2 tbs* chopped thyme leaves or 2 tsp of dried thyme
• 1 bulb garlic, cloves separated
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 12 bone-in chicken thighs with skin on or 6 chicken Marylands
• 800g potatoes, cut into 1.5cm chunks
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp black mustard seeds
• ¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped

Silverbeet with Mint & Yoghurt – Ingredients:

• 1 bunch silverbeet, washed, stalks removed, leaves sliced
• knob of butter
• 1 tbs* mint, chopped
• 1 cup natural yoghurt
• ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
• Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

*These are 15 ml tablespoons.

Herb & Chilli Chicken with Turmeric Potatoes – Method:

1. Mix the olive oil, thyme, garlic cloves, chilli and lemon together.
2. Put the chicken in a dish in a single layer, then pour the lemon mixture over it. Marinate for, at least, 1 hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade.
5. Add the turmeric, mustard seeds and potatoes to the marinade.
6. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, brown in frying pan then set aside.
7. Add the lemon wedges from the marinade to the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes, set aside.
8. Add the potatoes and marinated garlic cloves to the frying pan. Fry for about 5 minutes.
9. Put the potato mix in a large ovenproof dish. Season, then place the chicken and lemon pieces on top.
10. Roast for 30 or so minutes until chicken is cooked to your liking.
11. Sprinkle with coriander and serve with the silverbeet.

Silverbeet with Mint and Yoghurt – Method:

1. Put yoghurt in a muslin bag, chux cloth or similar and tie with a rubber band.  Hang from a tap to drain for, at least, 4 hours.
2. Put silverbeet in a large pot with a dob of butter.  Cook until silverbeet has wilted.
3. Drain excess fluid from silverbeet; season with salt and pepper.
4. Mix the chopped mint and a pinch of salt into the drained yoghurt, then dollop onto the silverbeet.
5. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts.