Mediterranean Roasted Chicken and Hasselback Potatoes
Slow-cooked Mediterranean-spiced chicken is then roasted and served with flavorful Hassleback potatoes
Servings 4
Ingredients
For the roast chicken:
- 1 kilo chicken thighs skin-on (6-7 chicken thighs)
- 1 teaspoon za'atar spice mix
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (if unavailable, replace with regular molasses)
- 1 teaspoon regular molasses
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley (fresh or dried + 1 extra teaspoon chopped parsley for garnish)
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 a chicken stock cube (optional)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 large red onions (sliced)
- 3 garlic pods (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
For the Hasselback potatoes:
- 6-7 medium-sized salad potatoes
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 4-5 garlic pods (sliced)
- A few rosemary sprigs
- A teaspoon coarse sea salt (I used pink Himalayan salt)
Instructions
Make the roast chicken:
- In the Instant Pot (or a slow cooker), add the chicken together with all the ingredients listed under roast chicken, except the balsamic vinegar.
- Cook on 'Slow Cook' mode (on the 'Normal' setting) for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, take out the chicken and onions, and transfer to a baking tray lined with foil (leave the sauce in the pot).
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 C or 350 F for 30 minutes, on the grill setting. Let the skin crisp up a little.
- Meanwhile, switch to 'Saute' mode on the Instant Pot (or transfer contents of the IP to a saucepan) and add the balsamic vinegar to the sauce.
- Let the sauce simmer and reduce for at least 10 minutes, stirring it occasionally.
- To serve, pour the sauce over the chicken and plate up with a garnish of chopped parsley.
For the Hasselback potatoes:
- In the Instant Pot, add the potatoes with enough water to just cover them.
- Add a tablespoon of salt and pressure cook the potatoes in 'Manual' mode, on 'High' setting, for '0' minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Once done, take out the potatoes and add them to an ice bath or cold water to stop them from cooking.
- Then make thin cuts on the potatoes, letting the knife go around 3-quarters into the potatoes.
- Tip: You could insert a skewer or a toothpick lengthwise into the potato, marking the depth to which the knife should make the cut. This helps in making even cuts.
- Insert as many garlic slivers as you can into the grooves of the potatoes (see notes if you want to skip this step).
- Using a pastry brush, dab on the melted butter on the potatoes. Let the butter get into the grooves.
- Tuck in the rosemary sprigs, sprinkle the sea salt and bake in a preheated oven at 180 C or 350 F for 40 minutes.
- Serve as a side with the chicken.
Notes
You could omit the step of pressure cooking the potatoes in salt and directly roast them in the oven for 1 hour. But I personally prefer the pressure-cooking method, as that infuses them with flavor from the salt, and also make the inside of the potatoes softer.
Za'atar is a Middle-Eastern spice blend and along with pomegranate molasses, can be found in most ethnic stores. If you are unable to find pomegranate molasses, try using cranberry concentrate or simply, regular molasses as a substitute.
Stuffing the garlic slivers into the grooves of the potatoes make then very flavorful, but it can get time-consuming. If you want to avoid this step, simply warm the butter with chopped garlic on the stove-top on low heat for a minute. Then pour the butter-garlic mixture over the potatoes.