Roasted Chicken with Aromatic Spinach

• beet↗2

  peeled and diced into small cubes

• celeriac↗300 г

  cut into small cubes

• red onion↗2

  cut into quarters

• garlic↗8

  4 minced, the rest left whole, peeled

• rapeseed oil↗1 ст. л.
• fresh thyme leaves↗1½ ст. л.

  plus extra for serving

• lemon↗1

  zest and juice

• fennel seeds↗1 ч. л.
• English mustard powder↗1 ч. л.
• smoked paprika↗1 ч. л.
• bio yogurt↗4 ст. л.
• bone-in chicken thighs↗4

  skinless

• spinach↗260 г

  bag

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C (or 180 °C for convection). In a shallow baking dish, spread the diced beet, celeriac root, red onion and whole garlic cloves. Add 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, 1½ tbsp fresh thyme leaves, zest of half a lemon, 1 tsp fennel seeds and a few drops of lemon juice, then mix thoroughly. Roast for 20 minutes until the vegetables start to brown, while you prepare the chicken.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, combine 1 tsp English mustard powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika and 2 tbsp bio yogurt. Add half of the minced garlic, the remaining lemon zest, a little more thyme and the juice of half a lemon, and mix well. Place the skinless chicken thighs in the marinade, coating them evenly with the mixture. Transfer the chicken to the dish with the vegetables and roast for another 40 minutes until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

3. 3

   Five minutes before the chicken is done, rinse the spinach, drain it and place it in a hot skillet, adding the remaining minced garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until the leaves wilt, then turn off the heat and stir in the remaining yogurt. Sprinkle the finished chicken and vegetables with extra thyme and serve immediately.