Chicken with Roasted Carrots and Sesame Recipe
A constant in my life is what can I do with chicken thighs. Thighs are by far my favourite chicken to eat, full of flavour, super crispy skin and always a really good price. And as an added bonus they make for such amusing phrases as ‘rub oil into your thighs’ and ‘depending on how big your thighs are’. Hence my love of a new chicken thigh recipe and this one really caught my eye. It’s a one tray wonder, an interesting mix of flavours and I’ve added some greenery to mine to make it a complete dish. So it’s my pleasure to share with you today this simple Chicken with Roasted Carrots and Sesame recipe.
This dish is a lovely mix of flavours, mostly being my favourite sesame, soy, chilli, honey combo. With the sweet baby carrots, crispy chicken and wilted pak choi this has wonderful influences and make for a super dish for the whole family *sans greenery for George*. The chicken is cooked skin side down for a good while to ensure the fat cooks off and the skin crisps beautifully. The carrots are then pan fried for colour and roasted to concentrate their sweetness. The slightly spicy, sweet sauce is then poured over and the whole dish is finished in the oven, ready for the table in under 45 minutes. This makes it a potential week night favourite but I would say it’s elegant enough to serve to friends and family. A big thank you to Bon Appetit for the inspiration for this beyond tasty recipe.
We are a bit pushed on the weekly shopping bills at the moment, what with financing Ben acquainting himself with every pub on the south coast. So thighs are the way forward for us and this new, warming and tasty way of cooking them is perfect. Just a shame we can’t afford the wine to go with it. I’m lying of course, I’d rather have the wine than chicken any day.
Beautiful ingredients and so fresh. I also had a recent trip to the Oriental supermarket so my supplies of all things soy and spicy are replenished. I used baby carrots as they were on a two for £3 offer, however, some big carrots halved would be just as good, they may just take a little longer to cook through.
Make a start on this recipe by pre heating your oven to 160 degrees fan assisted. Now take your chicken, give it a pat dry with some kitchen paper then season well with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a tablespoon of sesame oil then rub well into the chicken, skin side only.
Take a hob and oven proof dish or pan and heat on the stove over a low to medium heat, without oil. Place your thighs, skin side down, in the hot pan and leave for around 5 minutes to crisp.
Once the time’s up, turn the heat up slightly and cook until the chicken is turning opaque and the skin is really crisping. Keep them moving to ensure an even colour. This will take between 10 and 12 minutes.
Once you reach this stage, remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the chicken fat from the pan.
Add your baby carrots or halved bigger carrots to the pan and season. Cook on one side until browning then cook on the other side.
Add you pak choi or other Asian greens and toss around. Now pop in the oven for around 5 minutes to soften the carrots and to wilt the greenery.
While this is cooking off, whip up the sauce. In a small jug or bowl whisk or stir together the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil, soy, Sriracha, rice vinegar, honey and ginger, freshly grated or from a lazy jar like me.
Whip your veggies out of the oven and place the chicken on top.
Drizzle on the spicy sauce then the whole pan goes in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are soft and full of flavour.
Leave the chicken to settle for 5 minutes before garnishing this rustic but delicious dish with some fresh coriander, sesame seeds and spring onions if you like. I don’t, so swerved the onions.
Dig in, I served mine in the dish at the table for added rustic-ness and less washing up.
As I write this there’s a howling gale blowing outside and it’s starting to feel as though autumn/winter are bedding in at last. I can think of no more comforting dish than this washing up shy chicken supper. It’s warming, cosy food, effortless but still a good looking dish. Just like me, but without the good looking bit.
Lucy x
Chicken with Roasted Carrots and Sesame Recipe
Serves 3 to 4, appetite dependent
You will need a hob-proof baking dish
6 to 8 chicken thighs, depending on how many you are feeding and how big they are
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons sesame oil
300g baby carrots, or normal sized ones with cut in half
200g pak choi or other Asian greens, optional extra
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Sriracha
2 tablespoon rice vinegar, I used Sushi seasoning vinegar as that was all I had to hand
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or from a jar
Coriander, chopped spring onions and sesame seeds to garnish
Pre heat your oven to around 160 degrees fan assisted.
Take your chicken thighs, dry with kitchen paper and season well with salt and pepper. Drizzle the skin side of your thighs with one tablespoon of sesame oil then rub well into the skin.
Heat an oven and hob proof pan or griddle over a low to medium heat then add the thighs, skin side down. Cook for around 5 minutes, checking to ensure the skin is browning evenly. After 5 minutes turn the heat up a little more to crisp the skin thoroughly and so the chicken starts to turn opaque around the edges, for around a further 10 to 12 minutes. After this time, place the chicken on a plate while you cook off the carrots.
If you are using larger carrots, cut them in half, if using the baby ones, just trim the tops. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the chicken fat then add the carrots to the pan and season. Leave them alone to brown then turn over to cook the reverse side. Cut your pak choi in half, if you’re using it, then add that to the carrots, toss in the juices then cook in the oven for around 5 minutes.
While this is cooking, make this sauce. In a jug stir together the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha, vinegar, honey and ginger.
Remove the carrots and pak choi from the oven and place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Drizzle over the sauce then put back in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is golden and cooked through.
Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving, garnished with a scattering of sesame seeds, coriander leaves and chopped spring onions.
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