Chicken and potatoes, roasting together in a hot oven, is the kind of meal that grounds you. It’s unfussy but generous, comforting without being heavy, and when everything happens in one tray, it feels like the day has gone your way. These are the recipes I hold onto. When life feels complicated, dinner doesn’t need to be.

My briny potato and lemon chicken traybake was one of the most successful recipes ever on @the.australian—and whilst I don't want to be dramatic, this zesty chicken with golden, lemon-soaked potatoes could be my most favourite yet. Crisp-skinned, deeply savoury, and easy in all the right ways. It’s all about bright, punchy flavours, the kind of lift that feels especially welcome as the days shorten and the light darkens. Sumac does a lot of the heavy lifting here, lending its brightness to the whole dish. As the chicken roasts, its juices run and mingle with the lemon and spice, soaking into the potatoes and catching on their edges as they crisp. I serve it with a simple, fresh cucumber, cherry tomato, mint and feta salad which I scattered over the top just before serving. A cold burst of freshness that cuts through the richness and reminds you, even on the chilliest evenings, that colour still belongs in the kitchen.