Turmeric and onion roast chicken thighs
Golden turmeric-marinated chicken thighs roasted over a bed of sweet onions with a little honey glaze — hands-off oven cooking, so you're not stood over a hot hob in summer.
- 1 hr 5 min
- Serves 2
- Roast
- Easy
Why it suits you: As Start of Summer warms up, a Blood-stasis constitution may notice a stiff neck and shoulders, period pain or a dull complexion. Turmeric breaks up stasis and moves qi, and onion helps disperse it; roasting chicken thighs in the oven means no standing over a hot wok on a warm evening.
Method
Prep 30 min · Cook 35 min- 1Pat the chicken dry and score the skin twice. Rub with the turmeric, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, salt and pepper and marinate for 20 minutes (or overnight in the fridge for more flavour).
- 2Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Spread the onion in a roasting tin, drizzle with the olive oil and lay the chicken on top, skin side up.
- 3Roast for 25 minutes, brush the skin with the honey, add the broccoli around the chicken and roast for another 8–10 minutes until golden and the juices run clear at the thickest part.
- 4Serve with the soft roasted onions.
Cautions
- Turmeric moves blood, so avoid it if you're pregnant, have heavy periods or take blood-thinning medication; halve the turmeric if you tend to run hot with a dry mouth.
Chef's tips
- Turmeric stains, so mix the marinade with a spoon or wear gloves. Roast skin side up for crisp skin — the onions soak up the chicken juices beautifully.
The TCM view
Turmeric is pungent, bitter and warm, breaking up blood stasis, moving qi, unblocking the channels and easing pain. Onion is pungent and warm, moving qi, dispersing stasis and settling the stomach. Chicken is sweet and warm, warming the middle and boosting qi; ginger and garlic warm the channels and dispel cold, and honey harmonises. Moves qi and blood while nourishing — suited to Blood stasis.
