Extraordinary Roasted Chicken, Potatoes and Chickpeas

Rinse and drain the canned chickpeas. Set aside. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3-inch chunks. Set aside.

Now put together the marinade. Heat the lemons for 30 seconds or so in the microwave to help release more juice. Then remove them from the microwave, roll them on your work surface with your hands, applying a little pressure. Then slice them in half and squeeze out as much juice as you can into a medium-sized bowl. Add the rest of the marinade ingredients together and combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Place the chicken, chickpeas, potatoes and garlic in a large freezer bag and pour in the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Flop it around a bit to make sure that the marinade gets everywhere. Place the bag on a plate, in a bowl or other and pop in the fridge to marinate for a day. Turn the bag over whenever you open the fridge over the next 24 hours.

An hour and a half or so before you are ready to eat, preheat the oven to 200 C/ 180 C fan/ 375 F. Remove the bag from the fridge and tumble the contents into a large roasting dish. Make sure to use one that’s large enough for everything to be spread out so that there is a lot of exposed food surface area. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the dish tightly with foil and put it into the oven to cook for 1 hour. Then remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until the chicken skin and potatoes are crispy and cooked through and the chickpeas get a little crunchy too. Watch like a hawk that the marinade does not go from gooey and delicious to a burnt crisp. Remove pan from the oven and scatter the roasted cumin seeds and chopped coriander over the top.

Serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt or Tzatziki on the side and be prepared to be worshiped.

Adapted from Lebanese inspired marinated and roasted Chickpeas and Potatoes by Elaine Boddy.