"Not Just Chicken" - Crispy Baked Chicken Breasts with Orange and Cardamom

Ingredients:

• 450 g small red-skinned new potatoes
• 4 chicken breasts with skin, bone, and wing parts
• Olive oil
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves removed)
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup softened but not melted butter
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• Zest of 1 large orange
• 2 tsp grated ginger

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 260°C (425°F). Place two baking sheets on one, set the rack on the other, and line the other with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with a little olive oil, thyme leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Place the potatoes on the parchment-lined baking sheets.
2. In a small bowl, combine butter, ground cardamom, orange zest, ginger, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix well with a spoon.
   
   Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Poke a small hole in the transparent membrane between the skin and the flesh of the chicken breast. Insert your index finger through the hole, separating the skin from the flesh, but don't remove it completely. This will create a large pocket that will perfectly accommodate butter. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
3. Pour the butter mixture through the hole you made. Spread the butter evenly by inserting a finger through the hole in the skin and spreading the mixture. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Wash your hands thoroughly.
4. If desired, drizzle the skin with a little oil for crispier skin. Season with salt to taste. Place the potatoes and chicken in the oven and bake, rotating the pans halfway through and stirring the potatoes, for about 30 minutes. Relax, sip your wine, and enjoy the crackling butter and the delicious aroma of the cooking chicken!
5. The chicken is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast (it shouldn't touch the bone) reads 165°F (71°C). Remove the baking sheets from the oven and cover with foil. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken and potatoes to a serving platter and serve.