Croatian paprika chicken and potato salad

Leading Women Fund supporter, former refugee and teacher Monika Kollaras shares her favourite recipe from when she was growing up. The chicken is served with a Croatian potato salad that is even better after a day in the fridge.

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Series. Cooking. Rated PG.

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Ingredients

• ½ cup sweet paprika (see Note)
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp fine Himalayan salt
• 2 tsp herbed salt
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 600 g chicken thigh fillets

For the potato salad

• 500 g potatoes, skin-on
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• Salt and black pepper
• Apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Marinating time: at least one hour, or overnight.

Instructions

1. To make the potato salad, place the potatoes (skin-on) into a large, heavy-based saucepan. Cover with water, then bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until you can smoothly push a knife through the potato. Drain, allowing them to cool slightly, then use a butter knife to carefully peel the potatoes. Cut into 3 cm chunks, then place into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until completely cooled.
2. To marinate the chicken, in a large bowl whisk the paprika, garlic, salts and oil until well combined. Add the chicken and mix well to coat, then refrigerate for 1 hour – overnight. Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
3. Once ready to cook, heat a chargrill pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and grill until cooked through, then remove from the heat. Meanwhile, to finish the potato salad, add the onions (reserve a pinch of spring onion to garnish!), a generous pinch of salt and pepper, then drizzle with apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and toss lightly to combine.
4. Serve the chicken with the potato salad. Sprinkle the potato salad with the reserved spring onion.

Note

Yes - you read that right, this chicken marinates in half a cup of sweet paprika, an ingredient beloved by many Balkan cooks. But, Monika promises: "It won't taste overbearing!"

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.