On Monday I shared this image to Instagram and spoke about South African Heritage Day and what it means to me. I shared this very basic roasted chicken recipe using South African seasoning, and a personal story of how my mother would divide just enough potatoes to feed us all. That she managed to turn simple ingredients into craveable meals for us all, especially on a Sunday.

The post was shared quite a few times by the likes of Food52, Lodge Cast Iron and Tasting Table, much to my surprise. I even got an email from a producer at ABC The Chew! What is it about crispy roast chicken and potatoes that has us all feeling a sense of comfort?

To capture that authentic taste, it is quite necessary to use the right seasonings...In this case "Robertson's Chicken Spice" which can be purchased online buysouthafricanfood.com.

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken pieces

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon chicken spice

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

4 medium potatoes (I used red), scrubbed and quartered

1 large red onion, cut into wedges

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Method:

Place chicken pieces, 2 tablespoons chicken spice, salt and pepper in a large bowl and massage the seasoning into the meat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425F.

In a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, sear the chicken skin side down first, for 5 minutes until golden and crispy. Flip the chicken over and repeat. Turn the stove off and remove chicken from the heat.

Toss potatoes, onion, olive oil and parsley with remaining 1 teaspoon chicken spice in a bowl. Add the potato mixture directly to skillet and roast in the oven for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and chicken juices run clear.

The potatoes will further soak up the flavors of the chicken so I do not add extra salt. You can definitely do so if you wish, or finish with some sea salt flakes right before serving.

Allow to rest for 5 minutes and serve.

Serves 4