Roasted chicken with creamy walnut sauce

Method9 steps · about 55 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Heat the oven to 200 °C /180 °C fan /gas 6. Without washing the raw chicken (8), put all eight skin-on bone-in thighs in a roasting tin and toss with all the ground cumin (1 tsp) and paprika (½ tsp), one tablespoon measured olive oil and some of the seasoning salt and black pepper. Hold the other tablespoon oil for the sauce.

   Uses 8 raw chicken thighs, skin on and bone in · 1 tsp ground cumin · ½ tsp paprika · 2 tbsp olive oil, divided · Salt to taste for chicken roasting and walnut sauce, divided · Ground black pepper to taste for chicken roasting and sauce, divided

2. 2

   Step 2: Roast the seasoned thighs for about forty minutes until their skin is crisp and the chicken is fully cooked. Check the thickest flesh away from the bone reaches at least 74 °C /165 °F, continuing to roast as needed.

   Roast bone-in chicken thighs until cooked through · 40 minUses All eight prepared raw thighs

3. 3

   Step 3: While the chicken roasts, tear only one of the six pitta breads into a small clean bowl. Pour a couple of tablespoons from the measured hot chicken stock over these pieces and leave to soften. Keep all the remaining measured stock for blending and the other five pittas for serving.

   Uses Only one of the six pitta breads for sauce · A couple of tablespoons from the 150 ml hot stock; hold its remainder

4. 4

   Step 4: Dry-fry all one hundred and seventy-five grams walnuts (175 g) in a clean frying pan for about three minutes, stirring until golden and toasted. Take them out and set aside, keeping the pan for the sauce. Reserve a small portion of these toasted nuts for garnishing; use most in the sauce.

   Toast all walnuts before dividing · 3 minUses 175 g walnuts, toasted then divided:most for sauce and remainder for garnish

5. 5

   Step 5: Peel and chop the small onion (1 small) and both garlic cloves (2). Heat the remaining one tablespoon measured olive oil in the walnut pan and cook all the onion and garlic until softened. Put this softened onion-garlic mixture, all the stock-softened one-pitta pieces and most of the toasted walnuts into a clean blender. Keep the small remaining toasted-nut portion for garnishing.

   Uses 2 tbsp olive oil, divided · 1 small onion, chopped · 2 garlic cloves, chopped · All softened sauce bread · Most toasted walnuts; hold the small garnish portion

6. 6

   Step 6: Pour only the remaining measured hot chicken stock into the blender contents, including all the softened bread and its soaking liquid already in the bowl. Whizz to a rough paste, then return all the blended paste to the sauce pan.

   Uses All blender contents · Only the remaining measured hot stock after pitta soaking

7. 7

   Step 7: Wash and juice the lemon. Stir all the single cream (50 ml) and lemon juice into the walnut sauce base, season with some of the salt and black pepper to taste, and gently heat. Keep the finished sauce warm while the chicken finishes roasting.

   Uses All blended sauce base · 50 ml single cream · Juice of 1 lemon · Salt to taste for chicken roasting and walnut sauce, divided · Ground black pepper to taste for chicken roasting and sauce, divided

8. 8

   Step 8: Once the chicken thighs are fully cooked, arrange them on a platter. Wash and chop the coriander, stir all of it into the warm walnut sauce, and spoon that sauce into a serving bowl.

   Uses All eight thighs after checking they are cooked through · All finished sauce · 1 handful fresh coriander, chopped

9. 9

   Step 9: Roughly chop only the reserved toasted walnuts and scatter them over the cooked chicken. Toast the five remaining unsoaked pitta breads until lightly crisp, cut them into wedges and serve alongside all the chicken and walnut sauce as four portions.

   Uses All finished chicken and sauce · Only the toasted walnut garnish portion remaining · Only the five unsoaked pitta breads remaining for serving