Note: I finished this with capers, with chopped green olives, even once with arugula lightly dressed (lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper) but even without those things or a handful of parsley, as shown here. , this dish is perfect and fits the bill for the busiest of days.
- 2 lemons, half
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 medium-large chicken thighs (about 2.25 pounds total)
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil, plus a drizzle
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 pound golden potatoes (about 3 medium), unpeeled, each cut into 8 wedges
- A generous handful of flat-leaf parsley, to finish
Oven heating: Up to 450°F (yes, really!)
Combine the dish: Peel half and thinly slice the second half of the first lemon, fish out any lemon seeds. In a 9×13-inch baking dish (or lasagna pan), combine lemon wedges, 3 tablespoons olive oil, onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon remaining oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and many grates of black pepper. Add the potato wedges and chickpeas and stir until everything is evenly mixed and combined. Remove the chicken thighs from the bowl and place them on top of the potato-chickpea mixture, skin side up. Pour any remaining juices from the bowl over the potatoes and chickpeas. Dry the skin of the chicken and rub it lightly with olive oil.
Cook: Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the chicken thighs are cooked. The skin of the chicken should be crisp. Carefully transfer the chicken thighs to a plate. Mix the potato-chickpea mixture just to mix it and distribute it evenly in the pan, then return the pan to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, to ensure that the potatoes finish cooking and everything becomes a little brown.
Return the chicken thighs (and any juices that have collected on the plate) to the potato-chickpea pan. I usually don’t find that the pumpkins are cool enough in 10 minutes that they need to be reheated, but if yours is, put everything back in the oven for a few minutes. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges.
Serving: Sprinkle with parsley, serve with an extra lemon wedge squeezed over the pan, and eat immediately.
