Thomasina Miers Recipe for Spicy Turmeric Chicken with Golden Potatoes | The new flexitarian

I love eating this dish outside, when the smell of spices fills the air with their fragrance. The chunks of turmeric-stained roast chicken are a bewitching sight, but it's the texture of the bright mustard seeds and crispy, oil-soaked potatoes, with their tangy heat, that I really love. Serve with refreshing bowls of raita and warm flatbreads to scoop up every last bite.

Spiced Turmeric Chicken Bake with Golden Potatoes

A richly spiced dish full of crispy, fatty chicken skin, silky onions and golden roasted potatoes. dcr-3jlghf">1¼ kg roasted potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces1 ½ tsp. turmeric 6 tsp. vegetable oil 1 tbsp. flour2 tbsp. cumin seeds 1 tsp. c. black mustard seeds 2 tbsp. drumsticks and 8 thighs 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed Coriander leaves, for serving 1 lemon, half squeezed, the rest cut into wedges

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the potatoes and half a teaspoon of turmeric and sea salt in a deep saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes, until tender at the tip of a knife. Meanwhile, pour five tablespoons of vegetable oil into a baking sheet and put it in the oven to warm it up.

Drain the potatoes and mix- them in a bowl with the flour, spices and generous amounts of salt and pepper. Stir in the ginger, chilli and onion and mix well, knocking down the edges of the potatoes as you go. Carefully pour the potato mixture into the tray of hot oil, tossing to evenly coat, then roast for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, rub the chicken in the remaining tablespoon of oil. Mix with the rest of the turmeric, the garlic and plenty of salt and pepper. Once the potatoes have done their 25 minutes, turn the oven down to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and lay the chicken pieces skin side down on the potatoes. Roast for an additional 30 minutes, tossing the potatoes once or twice during this time to brown and crisp all over, until the juices run clear and the skin is crisp. p>

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven, sprinkle with cilantro and lemon juice and serve with the lemon wedges.

The simple flex

Potatoes are delicious on their own, or try tossing them with tips of broccoli or asparagus in the last 20 minutes of cooking, or with freshly boiled peas at the end.