Nando's Lemon and Herb Chicken

A great knock-off recipe from you to make at home and be able to adjust to your tastes.

4 chicken thigh, bone in, skin-on (2 lbs)

Lemon and Herb Sauce:
2 shallots
3 cloves garlic
¼ red bell pepper
¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon zest, freshly grated
2 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. sugar
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Place all the ingredients for the marinade in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Pour over chicken and marinate for ½-1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

Over medium high heat, remove the chicken from the marinade and place the chicken skin side down in a skillet. Sear for 3-4 minutes until browned or charred to your liking.

Flip the chicken and sear for another 3-4 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes or until internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reads at least 165°F. I usually cook mine until 175-180°F so the meat's not even pink at all.

Let the chicken rest for a couple minutes and serve.

You can boil the leftover marinade (or even double the marinade recipe if not sufficient) as sauce for the chicken. Just add a little more sugar to balance the tang as it's more pronounced as a sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Cook's Notes:

• This doesn't require marinating for too long because the lemon juice (which is acidic) just might toughen the meat if left too long.
• If you want to skip searing, just bake the chicken at 450°F (230°C, Gas Mark 8) for 25-35 minutes or until chicken is at least 165°F. If you want to char or brown the skin further, change the oven setting to broil and broil until charred or brown to your liking.