Spring superstars: One-pot chicken with new potatoes & new season garlic 

Spring superstars: One-pot chicken with new potatoes & new season garlic

I always look forward to the narrow window when new season garlic makes an appearance alongside tiny earth-crusted potatoes with their fine papery skin. Standard garlic or even smoked garlic works equally well here.

SERVES 4

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

600g miniature new potatoes (about the size of walnuts), scrubbed or skin-on

4 x 200g skin-on chicken breasts

1 head of new season garlic, outer skin removed and broken into cloves

200g young rainbow chard, stalks and leaves separated

170g greek yogurt

½ tsp sumac, plus extra for dusting

1 tbsp lime juice

2 heaped tbsp toasted

pine nuts (see tip)

  • Heat the oil in a large cast-iron casserole over a medium heat and fry the potatoes to lightly colour them, then transfer to a bowl. Next, season the chicken all over and fry the flesh side for a minute or two to lightly colour it, then turn and brown the skin side for about 7 minutes, until golden.
  • Scatter the potatoes and garlic cloves over and between the fillets, cover the pan and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through and sitting in a small pool of juices.
  • Transfer the chicken to a warm plate to rest, and pop the garlic cloves into a small bowl. Cover the pan and cook the potatoes for another 5 minutes. Thickly slice the chard stalks and shred the leaves. Add the stalks to the pan and cook covered for another 10 minutes, stirring in the leaves halfway through.
  • Meanwhile mash the garlic with a fork, then stir in the yogurt, sumac, lime juice and a pinch of salt.
  • Serve the chicken with the potatoes and chard with the sauce spooned alongside. Dust with a little more sumac and scatter with toasted pine nuts.

TIP Pine nuts can be toasted in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, tossing almost constantly until evenly coloured. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool.