Crispy Chicken with Melon Garnish

Ingredients:

• 2 gherkins (about 0.7 kg each)
• 2-3 teaspoons Asian hot sauce (such as sambal oelek)
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Half a small cantaloupe melon
• 1 shallot
• 1 cucumber

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 260°C. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper, place on a rack set in a roasting pan, and roast for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a measuring cup, whisk together the chili sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, olive oil, and 2 teaspoons of salt until the sugar dissolves. Transfer half of the mixture to a salad bowl. Brush some of the remaining sauce over the chicken, then rotate the roasting pan and continue roasting until the chicken is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 160°F (71°C), about 20 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice the melon and shallot. Peel the cucumber, then halve it lengthwise, remove the seeds, and thinly slice. Toss the melon, shallot, and cucumber with the reserved dressing. Divide the salad among plates. Using kitchen shears, cut each chicken in half and place one half on each plate. Drizzle the chicken and salad with the pan juices.