Ingredients

8 chicken thigh cutlets (bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, sometimes called chicken ‘chops’)
coriander leaves, to garnish
lime (or lemon) cheeks, to serve
CHICKEN MARINADE
â…” cup (160ml) extra virgin olive oil
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
40ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
10g smoked paprika
10g ground cumin
10g ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½–1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes, or more to taste
â…“ cup (a large handful) chopped coriander leaves
1–2 teaspoons sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
MINTED YOGHURT
1½ cups (420g) thick Greek-style yoghurt
1½ teaspoons freshly ground cumin, or more to taste, plus extra, to finish
a very large handful mint leaves, finely shredded
a splash extra virgin olive oil, plus extra, to finish
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes, or more to taste
mint leaves, to garnish (optional)

View the recipe collection here

Instructions

1.Put all the chicken marinade ingredients into a large bowl and give them a thorough stir to make a paste.
2.Add the chicken cutlets and swish them about so they’re really well coated in the marinade (it’s a good idea to don a pair of prep gloves and do this with your hands, as this way you can really work the paste into the chook without dyeing your fingers a rather startling shade of orange!).
3.Line a container that will hold the chicken comfortably with a plastic bag.
4.Pile the chicken into the bag, scrape in any leftover marinade as well, then knot the bag tightly.
5.Seal the container and pop it in the fridge for at least 5 hours or, preferably, overnight (the longer you leave the chicken, the more imbued it will become with the spices). Give the bag a good squish occasionally.
6.When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat your oven to 190°C.
7.Line a large, shallow baking tray with foil, then baking paper.
8.Sit the chicken cutlets in the tray, skin-side up, in a single layer.
9.Make sure the chicken is well coated in the marinade.
10.Pop the tray in the oven and roast the chicken for about 40 minutes or until it’s deep-brown and cooked through but tender.
11.While the chicken is cooking, make the minted yoghurt.
12.Simply combine all the ingredients, except the mint leaves to garnish, in a bowl and thoroughly mix them together.
13.Taste it and add more of anything you like – salt, oil, mint or cumin, whatever makes it taste just right to you.
14.Scrape the mixture into a small serving bowl, cover it and pop it in the fridge.
15.Just prior to serving, drizzle it with a tiny bit of extra olive oil and sprinkle with a bit more cumin to finish. Scatter over a few mint leaves, if using.
16.Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and spoon a little of the cooking juices over the top.
17.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with lime cheeks and the minted yoghurt.

Recipes extracted
from A Year of Sundays
by Belinda Jeffery,
published by Simon
& Schuster, RRP
$50. Photographer
Rodney Weidland.

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