Guest Recipe - Diana Henry's Chicken with Lemon, Capers and Thyme

This delicious recipe from Diana Henry’s newest cookbook, ‘From the Oven to the Table’ is perfect for Sutton Hoo Chicken thighs. The simplicity of the lemon, capers and thyme sit perfectly with the chicken, and allow the flavours of our slow-grown birds to be the main event.

serves 4

Ingredients

550g (1lb 4oz) small waxy potatoes, scrubbed and halved or quartered, depending on size

2 onions, cut into crescent moon-shaped wedges

1 head of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled

10 thyme sprigs

2 unwaxed lemons

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

8 good-sized skin-on bone-in chicken thighs, excess skin neatly trimmed

3 tablespoons capers, drained, rinsed and patted dry

This is simplicity itself, but you still have to take care: if you put the lemon slices on top from the start they’ll burn, so keep them tucked away under the chicken and vegetables until you get near the end of cooking time. Green or black olives could also be added about five minutes before the end. This dish would be lovely with Baked peppers stuffed with goat’s cheese, ricotta & basil (see page 77 of ‘From the Oven to the Table’); you can cook them in the oven at the same time.

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C fan (400°F), Gas Mark 6.

Put the potatoes into a shallow casserole 30cm (12in) across, or into a roasting tin in which all the vegetables can lie in a single layer.

Add the onions, garlic cloves and thyme. Finely grate the zest of 1 lemon over this and squeeze on the juice of half of it. Cut the other lemon into fine slices (flick out any seeds you see).

Add 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil to the vegetables and season them. Toss the lemon slices in and turn everything over with your hands.

Put the chicken thighs on top, skin side up, and brush them with the remaining olive oil. Season them, too. Make sure no lemon slices are sticking out, as they will burn quickly; they should be tucked under the chicken. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

Retrieve some of the lemon slices and put them on top of the chicken, so they can turn golden in the last bit of cooking time. Scatter the capers over and return to the oven for a final 10 minutes.

Serve straight away.