Crispy Chicken with Green Tahini & Roast Veg

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in
• 2 red onions, cut into wedges
• 2 red peppers, cut into chunks
• 2 courgettes, thickly sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 20 g flat-leaf parsley
• 10 g mint
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3 tbsp water
• salt and black pepper to taste
• Warm pitta bread, to serve
• Chopped salad, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Pat the chicken thighs dry with kitchen paper — water means steam, and steam means no crackling skin.
2. Tip the onions, peppers and courgettes onto a large tray. Toss with 2 tbsp of the olive oil, the smoked paprika, cumin and a generous pinch of salt and pepper, rubbing the spices into the oil so they bloom in the heat — raw spices taste dusty, bloomed spices taste of themselves. Spread the veg in a single layer so they catch and char rather than steam; crowd the tray and you'll boil them.
3. Rub the chicken thighs with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and season generously, working salt right into the skin. Nestle them skin-side up among the vegetables, leaving space around each thigh.
4. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the skin is deep mahogany and properly crisp, the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part, and the vegetables are soft, caramelised and charred at the edges.
5. While the tray is in the oven, make the green tahini. Blitz the tahini, parsley, mint, grated garlic, lemon juice and water until smooth and spoonable. The raw garlic mellows into the herbs here — fragrant rather than aggressive — but if it tastes harsh, a second squeeze of lemon juice tames it. Loosen with another splash of water if it tightens up.
6. Taste the tahini and season — it should be punchy, herby, and just sharp enough to cut the rich chicken skin. Adjust now, not at the table.
7. Pull the tray out and let it sit for 2 minutes so the juices settle back into the meat and the skin stays crisp.
8. Pile the chicken and charred veg onto plates or one big sharing board, spoon the green tahini over generously, and serve with warm pitta and chopped salad alongside for scooping and stuffing.