Spring roast chicken with preserved lemon

Name: Spring roast chicken with preserved lemon
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: European, British
Ingredients: 70g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; 3 tbsp thyme leaves; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 small preserved lemon, pips discarded, flesh and skin roughly chopped (30g); 1 lemon: zest finely grated, plus 11/½ tbsp juice, to drizzle; 1 whole chicken (1.5kg); salt; black pepper

5 steps

Prep:20minCook:1h 10min

I'm not the first to combine lemon, garlic and chicken - and I won't be the last - but sometimes it's good to be reminded that the classics are classics for a reason. Roasting a chicken is the ultimate simple dish: it's easy, quick, fills the house with delicious smells and everyone loves the result. You can prep the chicken 4-5 hours in advance if you like, and then just place in the oven when ready to cook.

Updated at: Sun, 14 Apr 2024 07:05:48 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Low

Nutrition per serving

Calories668.6 kcal (33%)

Total Fat52 g (74%)

Carbs3.2 g (1%)

Sugars0.3 g (0%)

Protein46.5 g (93%)

Sodium451.2 mg (23%)

Fiber0.4 g (1%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

4 servings

70gunsalted butter

softened to room temperature

3 Tbspthyme leaves

3garlic cloves

crushed

30gpreserved lemon

small, pips discarded, flesh and skin roughly chopped

1lemon

zest finely grated, plus 11/ 1/2 tbsp juice, to drizzle

1whole chicken

salt

black pepper

Instructions

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C fan.

Step 2

2. Place the butter, thyme, garlic, preserved lemon, lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of pepper in a food processor. Blitz to combine.

Step 3

3. With the chicken's legs pointing towards you, use your hands to loosen the skin away from the breasts and spread most of the butter mixture evenly under the skin and over the breasts. Spread the remaining butter over the legs.

Step 4

4. Place the chicken in a medium high-sided baking tray, drizzle with the lemon juice and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Roast for roughly 70 minutes, basting every 20 minutes or so, until the skin is golden-brown and crisp and the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a small knife.

Step 5

5. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes before serving.