spiced roast chicken

Transition to autumn with this delicious roast chicken and vegetable recipe. The recipe for this comforting dish is from a fellow blogger, Ronit Penso. This rustic one-pot meal is an easy weeknight dinner, yet it’s sophisticated enough to entertain a small crowd. Serve the chicken and vegetables alongside lemony roasted potatoes.

The how to… 
Recipe very slightly adapted recipe from Ronit Penso
Serves 5

Ingredients

 5 large bone-in, skin-on free-range chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry
1 onion, cut into wedges
3 carrots, peeled & cut into chunks
1 red bell pepper, seeded & cut into thick strips
1/3 cup olive oil
12 cloves garlic, peeled & slightly crushed
For spice mix
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp smoked spanish paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Mix spices. In a small bowl, combine spice mix ingredients. Set aside.
2. Marinade chicken. Place chicken thighs into a large ziplock bag. Sprinkle 80% of the spice mixture over the chicken. Using tongs, turn the chicken to coat in spices. Add onions, carrots, and bell peppers to bag and top with remaining spice mixture. Add olive oil and seal the bag. Gently massage the chicken and veggies to assure that all pieces are coated with marinade. Let marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours (or over night).
3. Roast. When ready to roast, take ziplock out of fridge and bring to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scatter garlic cloves in a 9×12-inch baking dish. Using kitchen tongs, lift the chicken out of ziplock bag and place (skin-side up) on top of the garlic cloves. Nestle the veggies between the chicken pieces.  Roast uncovered for 1 hour, until the chicken skin is crispy and the thighs are cooked through.
4. Serve. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve warm with a side of roasted potatoes.