Smoky Paprika Chicken
This combination of flavours is absolutely delicious. Here I have used chicken thighs, but a butterflied or spatchcocked chicken would be even better. For a flavourful whole bird simply allow the coconut oil to solidify in the fridge then, using your fingers, carefully lift the chicken skin away from the breast and gently push as much as possible of the fragrant coconut oil between the skin and the flesh of the bird then smear any remaining oil all over the rest of the bird. A spatchcocked bird may be cooked on the barbecue or in the oven.
Ingredients
Marinade:
Double the quantity for a whole bird
2 tbsps. coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, grated
3 heaped tsps. smoked paprika
1 tsp. cayenne
Grated zest and juice of a lime
6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on, but excess skin trimmed away leaving enough skin to cover the top of the thighs
Oven 200c, fan 180c, gas 6
Method
Put everything apart from the chicken into a small saucepan and heat gently until the spices become fragrant
Put the chicken thighs into a bowl (or a roasting pan in the case of the butterflied chicken), pour over the fragrant oil and toss the chicken around in it so that it becomes thoroughly coated.
Cover and leave the chicken in the fridge absorbing the flavours for as long as possible, preferably over night
Rub away and discard most of the excess now solid marinade and transfer to a snugly fitting roasting pan
Roast the thighs in the oven for around 35 to 40 minutes (probe temperature should be 74c). A butterflied chicken, depending on size, should take approximately 45 minutes in the oven or 20 minutes per side on the barbe
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