‘When life feels ­complicated, dinner doesn’t need to be’

Crisp-skinned, deeply savoury, and easy in all the right ways.

One-tray chicken with a cucumber and tomato salad. Photo: Nikki To / TWAM

Chicken and potatoes, roasting ­together in a hot oven, is the kind of meal that grounds you. It’s unfussy but generous, comforting without being heavy, and when everything happens in one tray it feels like the day has gone your way. It’s one of those recipes you’ll hold onto. When life feels ­complicated, dinner doesn’t need to be. I’ve shared a fair few one-tray dinners in this column over the years, but this one – zesty chicken with golden, lemon-soaked potatoes – could be my favourite yet. Crisp-skinned, deeply savoury, and easy in all the right ways.

It’s all about bright, punchy flavours – the kind of lift that feels especially welcome as the days shorten and the light darkens. Sumac, the tangy, citrusy spice used across the Middle East, does a lot of the heavy lifting here, lending its brightness to the whole dish. As the chicken roasts, its juices run and mingle with the lemon and spice, soaking into the potatoes and catching on their edges as they crisp. I serve it with a simple salad made with fresh cucumber, cherry tomatoes and mint; I also scatter some feta over the top just before serving. It’s a cold burst of freshness that cuts through the richness of the dish and reminds you, even on the chilliest evenings, that colour still belongs in the kitchen.


Fresh, easy, tasty: a chicken traybake recipe to keep. Picture: Nikki To

This cucumber salad is perfect on its own or as a side.

One-tray crispy chicken with potatoes and cucumber salad

Ingredients

• 2-3 lemons

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 60ml (¼) cup extra-virgin olive oil 

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon sumac 

• 4-6 chicken thigh cutlets, skin on, bone in
• 500g kipfler potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthways (or cut into chunks, depending on size)
• 120g Greek feta


Cucumber salad

• 2 Lebanese cucumbers
• 200g cherry tomatoes, halved

• Handful of mint

• Handful of coriander, optional


Method

1. Preheat oven to 220C (200C fan-forced). Place the chicken and potatoes in a roasting tray and zest two lemons right over the top (try to avoid the bitter white pith). Set the lemons aside for juicing. Add the garlic, oregano, sumac, a generous pinch of salt, and the olive oil. Squeeze the reserved lemons to yield 80ml of juice – usually the juice from two lemons, though it can vary depending on the size of your lemons.
2. Give everything a good toss, making sure to coat and rub the marinade all over the chicken. Then turn the chicken skin-side up and spread everything out into a single, even layer.
3. Roast for 45-55 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is golden, crisp and cooked through. While that’s in the oven, make your salad. Smash the cucumbers with a rolling pin or wooden spoon, then roughly chop. Toss with halved cherry tomatoes, picked mint and coriander leaves (if using), a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
4. To serve, spoon the potatoes onto a platter and top with the chicken. Give the juices in the baking tray a quick stir to bring them together, scraping up the crispy golden bits as you go. Spoon that over the top, crumble over the feta and serve with the cucumber salad.

Serves 4