Suya Spice Chicken with Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

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OcadoLife

6 serving

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hr 10 mins

Serves: 6

This delicious Suya Spice Chicken with Hassleback Sweet Potatoes by MasterChef: The Professionals semi-finalist William JM Chilila is packed with warming, smoky spices. Easy to prep, the combination of succulent, flavour-packed chicken and crisp, golden sweet potatoes is a dinner-party winner and pairs perfectly with Tenderstem broccoli.

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

30g plain skin-on peanuts
2 tbsp hot smoked paprika
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1½ tsp madras curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1½ tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caster sugar
150ml vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
12 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
6 sweet potatoes, peeled
75ml chicken stock
4 garlic cloves
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Method

Step 1

Start with the suya chicken. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Dry roast the peanuts for 30 mins on a baking tray, then blend until you have a fine, crumb-like texture. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the cayenne pepper, madras curry powder, 1 tsp ground ginger, chilli flakes onion powder, garlic powder, seasonings and sugar with the ground peanuts and oil. Add the chicken and rub in the spice mix. Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hr – overnight if possible.

Step 2

Prepare the potatoes by carefully making a series of vertical cuts in each to create thin slits that almost (but don’t!) reach the bottom – you want to keep the base of each potato intact.

Step 3

In a mini food processor, blitz the garlic cloves, onion, the rest of the ground ginger, ground nutmeg and ½ salt into a paste. Rub the paste over the potatoes, place them on a baking tray and set aside.

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan and cook the chicken thighs on a medium heat for 6-7 mins on each side (in batches if needed). Transfer to a roasting tin.

Step 5

Add the chicken stock to the frying pan and let it bubble for a couple of mins while you scrape the base of the pan with a spatula to release any caramelised chicken and marinade that’s stuck to the pan, as it’s full of flavour. Pour over the chicken thighs in the tin.

Step 6

Put the chicken thighs and sweet potatoes into the oven, with the chicken on the top shelf and the potatoes on the bottom, for 25-30 mins, until the chicken is cooked through and golden and the sweet potatoes are crisp.

Step 7

Once cooked, remove from the oven, slice the chicken and then transfer everything to a serving dish. Pour over any juices from the chicken’s roasting tin.