Chicken with Lemon, Capers and Thyme

by Diana Henry, featured in From The Oven To The Table

Published by Mitchell Beazley

Introduction

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.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

As featured in

From The Oven To The Table

Image of Diana Henry's Chicken with Lemon, Capers and Thyme — Photo by Laura Edwards

Ingredients

Serves: 4

Metric Cups

550 grams small waxy potatoes (scrubbed and halved or quartered, depending on size)
2 onions (cut into crescent moon-shaped wedges)
1 bulb of garlic (cloves separated but not peeled)
10 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 unwaxed lemons
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Maldon sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper
8 good-sized chicken thighs with skin on and bone in (excess skin neatly trimmed)
3 tablespoons capers (drained, rinsed and patted dry)

1¼ pounds small waxy potatoes (scrubbed and halved or quartered, depending on size)
2 onions (cut into crescent moon-shaped wedges)
1 bulb of garlic (cloves separated but not peeled)
10 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 unwaxed lemons
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
8 good-sized chicken thighs with skin on and bone in (excess skin neatly trimmed)
3 tablespoons capers (drained, rinsed and patted dry)

Method

Chicken with Lemon, Capers and Thyme is a guest recipe by Diana Henry so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe

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.

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.