Oven-Baked Chicken with Mint-Lemon Butter, Cumin-Roasted Squash and Warm Yogurt Cucumber Sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F. Line a large sheet pan or baking dish with parchment paper.

2. 2

   In a small bowl, mix the unsalted butter with the lemon zest, 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice, chopped mint, 2 minced garlic cloves, sweet paprika, 1 g (1/2 tsp) ground cumin, honey, 4 g (3/4 tsp) salt, and 1 g (1/4 tsp) black pepper until you have a fragrant butter.

3. 3

   Place the bone-in skin-on chicken thighs on the tray. Rub them well, including under the skin, with the mint-lemon butter.

4. 4

   In a large bowl, toss the cubed butternut squash with the olive oil, the remaining ground cumin, red pepper flakes if using, 4 g (1/2 tsp) salt, and the remaining black pepper. Spread the squash around the chicken in a single layer.

5. 5

   Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 220 °C / 425 °F, stirring the squash halfway through, until the chicken is deeply golden and cooked through and the squash is tender with caramelized edges.

6. 6

   Meanwhile, make the sauce: in a small saucepan over very low heat, combine the plain Greek yogurt, grated and squeezed cucumber, 1 grated garlic clove, the remaining 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and the water if you need a looser consistency. Warm gently for 2 to 3 minutes without letting it boil.

7. 7

   Remove the tray from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Serve the chicken thighs with the roasted squash and spoon the warm yogurt cucumber sauce over or alongside.

8. 8

   If you like, finish with a little extra chopped mint and a few drops of the pan juices over the squash before serving.