Where do I start with this Chicken, Roast Potato, Lemon Salad with Capers & Crispy Sage? This recipe has been given pride of place once a week in our household as a tried and true staple. It’s been given the ‘favourite meal’ status by my husband, taking the previous winning spot of my kofta kebabs. In fact my hubby has been at me to put this on the website so he can use the recipe to make it for us midweek when I am home late. Consider it done.
Imagine crispy roast potatoes coated in a zesty lemon sauce, with bursts of salty capers and the freshness of parsley. Then there is the crunch factor of the crispy sage and the wonderfully crispy skin of the chicken.
If anchovies aren’t your thing then you are crazy you could obviously leave them out, but please at least give this a go with anchovies, as they melt into the dressing bringing it alive. I like to use more than just the two in the recipe here, but if I push it too far my husband complains that it tastes like ‘fish chicken’.
I have made this salad with a combination of regular potatoes and sweet potatoes, which was lovely, so if you are not a potato fan, then sweet potato is certainly an option. However, if you are avoiding potatoes because you think they are ‘bad’ or ‘devil food’, or you’ve just been told by your mates friend that you shouldn’t eat them because her personal trainer said carbs are bad, well then dear reader it’s time to let that concept go. Potatoes eaten as part of a balanced meal are fine. You hear me, fine.
This wonderful chicken, roast potato, lemon salad with capers & crispy sage is an easy dinner option that can be completed from start to finish in an hour. It also keeps well for left overs, so making extra is a grand idea for mid week lunches. Sometimes I like to freshen it up a little the next day with some new lettuce or baby spinach if the greens have lost some of their luster.
I hope as always that you enjoy this as much as we do. My husband asked me last night if I think our taste buds are distorted because we love lemony, zesty food so much. I don’t think we have lost the taste bud plot, but it did make me think a bit. See what you think and let me know!
chicken, roast potato, lemon salad w capers & crispy sage
- serves
- 4 people
- preparation time
- 20 minutes
- cooking time
- 45 – 50 minutes
ingredients
- 4 medium sized potatoes, roughly cubed, skin on
- 1/2 large cos lettuce, torn (or other leafy greens of choice)
- 5 chicken thighs, ideally skin on
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 2 anchovies (optional, but amazing)
- 1 bunch sage
- 2 lemons, juiced
- zest of 1 & 1/2 lemons
- 1 clove of garlic, minced (use 1 tsp garlic infused oil for low FODMAP)
- 1 cup roughly chopped parsley
- extra virgin olive oil and salt & pepper for seasoning
method
When my husband makes this he pre-boils the potatoes before roasting till tender then tosses them in potato starch before roasting. This creates the most divine crispy potatoes so if you would like to add this step please do!
Pre heat your oven to 220c. Place chopped potatoes on a baking tray and toss with extra virgin olive oil for roasting. Season with salt and pepper and place in the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until tender in the middle and crispy on the outside. You may want to check them half way and give them as good toss to ensure they cook evenly.
About 10 minutes before they are done, add in with the potatoes the sage, anchovies and capers. Toss through and roast with the potatoes for the remaining time.
While the potatoes are roasting cook up your chicken thighs in a hot frying pan. Ideally you want nice crispy skin on the chicken. Set aside to rest and cool slightly, then chop up roughly to bite sized pieces.
Now make your dressing by combining lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, around 2 -3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. I like to make the dressing in the base of a large bowl that I can toss the salad straight into.
Once the potatoes are done, remove from the oven. It’s now time to assemble your salad. To your large bowl add the cos lettuce, parsley and sliced up chicken. Then add in the roast potatoes with the capers, anchovies (you may want to mash these up a little) and now crispy sage. Mix with a large mixing spoon and serve immediately.
nutritional information for chicken, roast potato, lemon salad w capers & crispy sage
- This chicken salad is a macronutrient balanced meal all in one. The chicken provides the protein, the potatoes the long lasting carbs and the anchovies and oils the lovely fats. This is all brought together with lots of fresh herbs, greens and citrus to make a super tasty and nutritious meal.
- I actually devised this salad recipe originally for an intolerance friendly recipe to suit most diets that I see in clinic. It is free from just about everything and is also low in salicylates and FODMAP friendly if you leave out the garlic.
- Potatoes get a hard wrap. Potatoes eaten in the right portions and quantities can be a nutritious alternative carbohydrate source when married with other vegetables and grains in the diet. Potatoes are a good source of vitamin B6, folate and vitamin C. They are also high in choline and lipoic acid making them a ‘food as medicine’ choice for nervous system support. Potatoes also supply an ample supply of minerals such as potassium, magnesium and iron.
Jessica Cox is a qualified practicing Nutritionist with a Bachelor Health Science (Nutrition) and over 15 years of clinical experience. She is the founder and director JCN Clinic, published author and established recipe developer. Jessica is well respected within health and wellness space for her no fad approach and use of evidence-based nutrition.
