Crispy Chicken & Potato Salad

Heat the oven to 200°C. Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and black pepper.

Peel the potatoes and cut into even 3cm chunks. Set aside.

Place a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and add the chicken thighs, skin-side down. Cook, undisturbed, for 8–10 mins until the skin is golden and crispy (it won’t be fully cooked yet). Flip the thighs over, then remove the pan from the heat.

Add the potato skins into the pan, and coat in the chicken fat. Transfer to the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through and the potato skins are crispy, 20-25 mins. 
 

Meanwhile, place the peeled potato chunks into a saucepan with cold salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for 10–15 mins until just tender. Drain in a colander, reserving 100ml of the cooking liquid, and leave to steam-dry for a couple of minutes.

Finely chop the shallot and chives. Add the shallot to a large mixing bowl with the Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar. Stir to combine and leave to sit for a few mins.

Once the potatoes are slightly cooled. Crumble the chicken stock cube into the shallots, then whisk in the potato cooking liquid, olive oil and season to taste with sugar, pepper and salt, if needed. Tip the potatoes into the dressing with 3/4 of the chives. Gently mix together, until the potatoes start releasing their starch and it slightly thickens the dressing. Taste and adjust with more salt, sugar or pepper, if needed. If the salad is too thick for your liking, stir in more potato cooking liquid. 
 

To serve, spoon the warm potato salad onto plates. Top with the crispy chicken thighs and scatter over the remaining chives. Crumble over a few of the crispier roast potato bits from the pan for crunch.