Lemon Chicken With Asparagus

Ingredients

• 1 chicken (cut into 8 pieces (3.5 to 4 pounds) or use bone-in chicken parts)
• 2 tsp fine sea salt (more as needed)
• 1 tsp ground coriander (for the chicken seasoning)
• 1 tsp paprika
• extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
• 1 lb asparagus (ends trimmed)
• 1 bunch scallions (thinly sliced)
• 0.5 cup soft herbs (torn; such as mint, dill, or parsley (or a combination))
• 1 lemon (zested and juiced)
• 2 garlic cloves (finely grated or minced)
• salt and pepper (a pinch each for the dressing)
• 0.5 tsp ground coriander (for the dressing)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (for the dressing)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the chicken: Season chicken all over with 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon coriander, and 1 teaspoon paprika. If you have time, set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 24 hours, covered, in the refrigerator.

2. 2

   Heat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

3. 3

   Arrange the seasoned chicken pieces on one side of a sheet pan and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

4. 4

   Roast the chicken for 15 minutes.

5. 5

   Remove the pan from the oven. Pile the trimmed asparagus on the other side of the pan and top with the sliced scallions.

6. 6

   Sprinkle the asparagus and scallions lightly with salt. Drizzle both the chicken and the asparagus with a little more olive oil.

7. 7

   Return the pan to the oven and continue to roast until the chicken is golden and cooked through and the asparagus is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. If the breast pieces are done before the dark meat, transfer them to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

8. 8

   While the chicken cooks, make the dressing: Finely grate the lemon zest into a small bowl. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice into the same bowl.

9. 9

   Add the grated garlic, a pinch each of salt and pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander to the lemon mixture and whisk well.

10. 10

    Whisk in the Dijon mustard and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Taste and add more salt, mustard, or oil if needed to make it bright and very tangy.

11. 11

    Drizzle the lemon dressing over the roasted chicken and asparagus, coating everything well.

12. 12

    Serve topped with the torn fresh herbs.

Notes

The key to this recipe is to pile the asparagus into a mound so it fits on the pan; the stalks on top get crispy while those underneath stay tender and bright green. You can substitute 3.5 pounds of bone-in chicken parts for a whole cut-up bird.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• sheet-pan
• chicken
• asparagus
• healthy
• weeknight dinner
• roasted