Cajun chicken baked with sweet potato wedges and chive onion sauce

• ground cumin and smoked paprika1 tsp tsp
• dried oregano↗1 tsp tsp
• fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried↗1 tbsp tbsp
• skinless, boneless chicken thighs (900g)8
• red and 1 yellow pepper1

  seedless, sliced

• red onion↗3

  sliced into thin 1 cm wedges

• celery stalks (125g)↗2

  finely chopped

• rapeseed oil↗1 tbsp tbsp

  plus 1 tsp

• sweet potato↗2

  (375g peeled weight), cut into 16 wedges

• kefir or bio-yogurt↗150g g
• chopped chive onion2 tbsp tbsp

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C/180 °C convection/gas 6. Mix the cumin, paprika, oregano and thyme in a bowl, add a generous pinch of black pepper. Set aside 1 tbsp for the potatoes. Use the rest to rub the chicken thighs.

2. 2

   Transfer the peppers, onion and celery to a large roasting tray and toss with 1 tbsp oil. Spread the vegetables evenly for uniform cooking, then place the chicken among them. Cover with foil and roast for 40 minutes.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, toss the potato wedges in 1 tsp oil and the remaining spices, spread them on a non‑stick tray leaving space between them. Place in the oven on the top rack when there are 35 minutes left for the chicken. Mix kefir and chive onion to make a sauce, adding up to 1 tbsp water to thin if needed. Set aside.

4. 4

   Remove the tray with vegetables and potatoes from the oven and increase the temperature to 220 °C/200 °C convection/gas 7. Transfer the chicken to a warm plate and let it rest for 5 minutes. Return the vegetables to the oven uncovered for another 5‑10 minutes to brown slightly. Serve half the wedges on plates with half the chive onion sauce and half the vegetables and chicken. Cover and chill the leftovers. They will keep in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat, gently warm the potatoes in a non‑stick pan, watching not to burn. Reheat the chicken to boiling temperature in the microwave or in a pan over medium heat. If freezing, fully thaw before reheating in a pan over medium heat to boiling.