Za’atar Roast Chicken with Butter Beans, Lemon & Harissa Yoghurt

Golden chicken thighs roasted over creamy butter beans and soft potatoes, perfumed with cumin, paprika and za’atar. It’s the sort of tray bake that looks generous on the table (rustic but quietly impressive) and made for sharing with good bread and a bottle of white.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1kg chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on preferred)

• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced

• 1 tbsp ground cumin

• 1 tbsp sweet paprika

• 2 tbsp za’atar

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For the tray

• 3 large potatoes, cut into generous chunks

• 400g tin butter beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 red onion, finely sliced

• 125ml (½ cup) dry white wine

• 125ml (½ cup) chicken stock

• 1 lemon, sliced into rounds

• Juice of ½ lemon

Harissa yoghurt

• 375g (1½ cups) thick Greek-style yoghurt

• 1 tbsp harissa paste (or to taste)

• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated

• Squeeze of lemon juice

• Salt to taste

To finish

• Fresh parsley and mint, coarsely chopped

• Extra lemon wedges

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-forced 180°C).

2. Marinate the chicken.
   In a large bowl, combine the chicken with three of the garlic cloves, cumin, paprika, za’atar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well and set aside while you prepare the vegetables.

3. Prepare the potatoes.
   Parboil the potatoes in well-salted water for 8–10 minutes until just tender but holding their shape. Drain and allow the steam to escape (this helps them crisp in the oven).

4. Build the tray.
   In a large roasting dish, scatter the sliced red onion and potatoes. Add the butter beans, then pour over the wine and stock. Nestle in the lemon slices and season lightly with salt and pepper.

5. Roast.
   Arrange the marinated chicken thighs on top, skin-side up if using skin-on. Roast for 45–55 minutes, until the chicken is deeply golden and cooked through, and the tray juices have reduced slightly.

6. Make the harissa yoghurt.
   While the chicken cooks, stir together the yoghurt, remaining garlic, harissa, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Adjust the heat and acidity to your liking. Chill until needed.

7. Finish and serve.
   Remove the tray from the oven and rest for 5 minutes. Scatter generously with parsley and mint, squeeze over the remaining lemon juice, and bring to the table with generous spoonfuls of harissa yoghurt.

Wine pairing

I paired this with a lovely local rosé — a little bit of fruit sweetness to complement the spice, while still savoury and bold enough to match up to the chicken and the butter beans. I’d also recommend a bold sauvingon blanc (with some racy acidity) or a lovely viognier.