FEATURE

Pumpkin, Potato and Chicken from the Oven

This rustic oven dish combines tender Hokkaido pumpkin, potatoes and juicy chicken with garlic, rosemary and thyme. It serves four and is well suited to the colder months.

Recipe details

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4

Use a large baking dish measuring approximately 36 × 25 × 6 cm internally.

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs or legs
500 g Hokkaido pumpkin, cut into large cubes
500 g predominantly waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
4 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon hot paprika
A splash of lemon juice
Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C using the convection setting.
Wash the Hokkaido pumpkin thoroughly, remove the seeds and cut the flesh into large pieces. Peel and roughly chop the potatoes. Halve the garlic cloves.
Place the pumpkin, potatoes and garlic in the baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper. Mix well, then distribute the rosemary and thyme over the vegetables.
Make the marinade by combining the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil with the sweet paprika, hot paprika and lemon juice.
Pat the chicken dry, season both sides lightly with salt and coat it with the marinade.
Place the chicken on top of the vegetables with the skin side facing down. Bake on the middle rack for 25 minutes.
Turn the chicken skin side up and bake for another 35 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the vegetables are tender.
If the skin needs additional crisping, briefly place the dish under a hot grill at approximately 250°C while watching it closely.

Notes

Juices released by the chicken mingle with the vegetables to form a flavorful sauce. Hokkaido pumpkin becomes particularly soft during the hour-long cooking time; choose a firmer pumpkin variety if you prefer more texture.