On the list: Garlic Chicken and Double Baked Sweet Potatoes

I'm a proud list maker, I have them all over the place: real post-it sticker here and there, virtual post-it on my computer, 2 different apps of list making on my phone, a stack of pieces of paper left from my printer, a file on wordpad with the recipes I want to try, a chalkboard sticker to write my holidays on...etc.
But my favorit one is old-fashionned, I have a small notepad to make my lists: one is for my next shopping trip to IKEA, one for the things I want to buy when I go back to Lisbon, one with books and CDs I would like to get or the more commun one for the grocery (though I have one for each shop I go to).

Today we need to process so many informations and multitask all day long, that it's nice to have something to rely on, not to mention the satisfaction of "checking" the things you have done already, I believe in the greatness of small achievements, because that's what everyday life is about.
That is why, when I do something that was not on the list, I tend to write it down anyway, just for the pleasure to check it off (yes, I know, I should get a life, which is on one of my lists too, see the picture below).

My kitchen is still not a place for the meat lovers, but in my attempt to "mix it up" a little, I am trying to include it sometimes in my recipes. So when I found those lovely organic chicken thighs, I though I should give it a try, along with some sweet potatoes.
Well, I'm enthoustiastic about the potatoes, making the "double baked" version was on a list somewhere for a while. I choose a Nigella recipe to marinate the chicken, which is super nice, but only the sweet potatoes are going to end up on the "let's do that again soon" list!

Garlic Salt and Pepper Chicken and Double Baked Sweet Potatoes

Serves 1

1 Organic Chicken Thigh
1 Tablespoon of Salt
1 Tablespoon of Sechuan Pepper
2 Cloves of Garlic
2-3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice
1 Sweet Potato
1 Shallot
10gr of Butter
2 Tablespoons of Mascarpone
2 Tablespoons of Bread Crumbs
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Chive, chopped

In a mortar, crush the garlic cloves with the salt until you have some sort of a paste. Add the pepper and crush the corns a little, before adding the olive oil and the lemon juice, combine all ingredients. Check the marinade for seasoning, if it seems good to you, pour it in a plastic freezer bag with the chicken thigh in it, rub it on the chicken and leave it in the fridge for severel hours (preferably overnight). Take it out of the fridge about an hour before you'll put it in the oven, it should be at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Clean the sweet potato thoroughly under the water, prick it with a fork a few times, for the steam to be able to come out. Place them in an oven dish and bake them for about 40 minutes, check if it is done by (carefully) pressing it, it should be soft to the touch.

Dice the shallot finely. In a pan on a medium heat, put the butter, the shallot and cook them until they are soft. Put it aside, off the heat.

Set the oven to 180°C.

Place the room temperatured chicken thigh in an oven dish, with a bit of marinade on top, and place it in the oven for about 40 minutes.

Cut the sweet potato in two, lenghtwise, and carefully with a spoon, take out the flesh, without breaking the skin. Add the flesh to the shallot and butter, and using a fork or a potato masher, make it into a purée. In a bowl, whip the mascarpone and add it to the sweet potato purée with the bread crumbs, combine well. With a spoon, place the purée back into the potato skins and place them in an oven dish.

The potatoes will need about 20 minutes, so half-way thru the chicken is done, put them into the oven (that is at 180°C) and let them finish cooking together.
Check both for coloring, if it's getting too dark, just place a aluminium foil on top of either one of them (or both) to finish cooking.
When it comes out of the oven, spinkle the fresh chive on top of the potatoes, place on a serving dish and enjoy!