Texas-Style Chicken Thigh With Slaw, Pickled Cucumber And BBQ Sauce

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7, then take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Pat your chicken dry with kitchen paper and season them generously on both sides with the smoked sea salt flakes and 2 grinds per person of black pepper

Set aside for 6 min to draw some of the moisture out – this is your quick dry brined chicken

While the chicken is brining, remove 2 tbsp [3 tbsp] [4 tbsp] butter from the fridge to warm up for later

Cut your orange[s] in half

Peel and grate your garlic

Heat a small pot over a medium heat and add the juice of the orange[s] with 25ml [35ml] [45ml] cold water, your tomato ketchup, Henderson's Relish, ground smoked paprika, half the grated garlic (save the rest for later!) and 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar

Season with a small pinch of salt and cook for 3-4 min or until the sauce has thickened to a syrup-like consistency, then remove it from the heat and set aside – this is your BBQ sauce

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) over medium-high heat

Once hot, add the quick dry brined chicken, skin-side down and cook for 10 min or until the skin has browned and crisped

Meanwhile, slice your cucumber finely

Add the sliced cucumber to a small bowl with your cider vinegar and 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar

Season with a pinch of salt, mix everything together and set aside – this is your quick-pickled cucumber

Once the chicken has browned, transfer it to a baking paper-lined tray (skin side up) and put the tray in the oven for 12-15 min or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your Texas-style dalmatian chicken

Combine the remaining grated garlic with the warmed butter in a small bowl – this is your garlic butter

Slice your ciabatta[s] in half, then spread the garlic butter over the ciabatta halves (reserve the bowl)

Once the chicken is almost done, add the ciabatta halves to a separate baking paper-lined tray and put the tray in the oven for 5-6 min or until crusty – this is your Texas-style toast

Meanwhile, add your carrot & cabbage slaw mix to the reserved bowl with your mayo and 1/3 of the pickling liquid from the quick-pickled cucumber

Season with a small pinch of salt and pepper and mix everything together – this is your slaw