Herb roasted chicken thighs

Adding potatoes to the base of this dish is optional but is well worth it, at the end you get a delicious one pan meal and the potatoes have been beautifully cooked with all the flavours from the chicken.

Ingredients

Vinaigrette:

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Chicken:

• 900g chicken thighs, bone in, skin-on, trimmed of excess fat
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced, peeled shallots (can sub thinly sliced onion that have soaked in water for 10 min)
• 3 to 4 whole garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
• Several whole sprigs of fresh tarragon or thyme (optional)
• More salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Sprinkle all sides of chicken thighs with salt and set aside.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, dried herbs, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
3. Spread a teaspoon of olive oil over the bottom of  a large (9×13-inch) casserole dish.
4. Cover the bottom of the dish with the thinly sliced potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Distribute the sliced shallots over the potatoes, and sprinkle again with a little salt and pepper.
6.  Place the chicken thighs, skin-side up, on top of the shallots. Wedge the garlic cloves between pieces of chicken.
7. If you have fresh herbs such as tarragon or thyme, you can wedge them in along the border, between the chicken pieces and the dish.
8. Whisk the vinaigrette again and pour it over the chicken, spreading it with your fingers to make sure the chicken is well coated.
9.  Bake uncovered for 50 minutes, or until the thighs are well browned and cooked through. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.