Gluten Free Lemon & Lavender Oven Chicken with Mustard Mash

Tender chicken thighs dressed in a fragrant and tangy lemon and lavender sauce! Served with a delicious mustard mashed potato.

Yield 2 to 4 servings

Lemon & Lavender Oven Chicken with Mustard Mash 

Ever since I purchased my first pot of culinary lavender to make up lavender macarons, I have become obsessed with finding other uses for it. I love the way it subtly fragrances food and how, when eating food made with lavender (and most flowers, actually) you smell it before you taste it. So, when thumbing through Rachel Khoo's lovely cookbook, "The Little Paris Kitchen"I came across a beautifully photographed recipe for Poulet au citron et lavande. I was immediately smitten and thrilled to discover that the ingredients the recipe calls for were things that I always keep in my larder. As always, I've tweaked the recipe a bit and my instructions and ingredient list will reflect that.

Ingredients:

For the lemon and lavender chicken
1 tbsp thyme
2 unwaxed lemons, zest and juice of one, the other sliced
2 tbsp culinary lavender
4 to 8 chicken thighs
4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp honey
salt

For the mustard mash
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp milk
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp mayonnaise
5 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and chopped
salt
pepper
chives

Instructions:

Lemon & Lavender Oven Chicken with Mustard Mash

1. Marinate the chicken overnight in the refrigerator by combining the lavender, honey, thyme and the zest and juice of the lemons. Ensure each piece of chicken is thoroughly coated in the marinade.
2. Preheat oven to 200C /400F. Tumble the chicken into a large roasting dish and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 25 minutes. 
3. Place a slice of lemon onto each piece of chicken and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes or until cooked through.
4. Boil the potatoes while the chicken is cooking. Drain and mash using a potato masher or fork. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard powder, butter and milk with salt and pepper and the potatoes and stir well until smooth. Serve with chives.
5. Drizzle the pan juices over the chicken the mash before serving.