Olive Chicken with Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Directions

• Prepare chicken one day in advance by dry brining overnight. Rinse and thoroughly dry chicken thighs. Place chicken on a parchment lined quarter sheet pan. Sprinkle with garlic or kosher salt and season with fresh cracked pepper. Place in refrigerator overnight uncovered. This helps develop a crispy skin. 
• Preheat oven to 450.
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and assemble while oven preheats.
• In a baking pan or roaster, pour the olive brine and the juice of 1 lemon. Place the chicken thighs over the cooking liquids and the slices from 1 lemon.
• Drizzle olive oil gingerly over each piece of chicken about 1 tablespoon and add a few sprigs of Thyme.
• Roast for 40 minutes and then add your olives to the pan.
• Prepare Potatoes – you will roast potatoes last 20 minutes while roasting chicken.
• In a medium pot fill with water half way. Bring to a boil and generously season with kosher salt, about 1 tablespoon. When water is ready, cook potatoes till fork tender, 12-15 minutes depending on the size. While potatoes are cooking prepare a sheet pan with parchment. Drain and cool potatoes and when able to safely handle use a small glass or jar and smash potatoes on the baking sheet. Slice 1 lemon and add these to the sheet pan as well. Season with garlic or kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Drizzle with Olive Oil and add leaves from about 3 sprigs of thyme and set pan aside. These will get roasted the last 20 minutes of chicken roasting time.
• At this time, rotate the chicken and also place your prepped potatoes in as well. Roast for an additional 20 minutes.
• With your reserved Toum Sauce, during the last 5 minutes, remove chicken and brush the 1 tablespoon reserved Anne’s Toum Za’atar over then place back in oven to finish. Place the roasted potatoes on your serving platter with the Toum Sauce and if desired, brush or drizzle with a little more olive oil. Serve and enjoy!