This lemon chicken recipe will be a go to for your family. It feeds approx 4-6, is quick and easy and the lemon flavoured yogurt is a versatile base to sauce plenty of other dishes. Or if you'r like Kel just drench everything on your plate with it!
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: approx 1 hour depending on size of bird
Ingredients:
1kg Chicken
4 Medium lemons
6 Garlic cloves
Dried or fresh Rosemary, Oregano and Thyme
4 Tomatoes
100g Salted butter from the fridge
6 Carrots
1 Large Sweet Potato
1 large brown onion
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil.
500g Greek yogurt
Method:
1a. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
1b. Prep your bird by pulling the skin of the breast apart from the flesh without tearing it. This is most easily done from the end near the cavity by gently massaging your fingers upward toward the neck area.
2. Cut one of the lemons and the onion into thin slices, smash the garlic with the flat part of a knife and slice your butter into thin slices. Separate all of this into two equal amounts along with a few sprigs of oregano and thyme except for the onion which approximately half needs to be set aside Now carefully slide each element under the skin you have separated from the flesh of the breast.
3. Cut another lemon into some large sections and along with a couple of cloves of garlic and the remaining onion place into the cavity of the bird.
4. Pat the skin of the bird down with paper towel and then season with salt, pepper, olive oil and the some of the remaining herbs.
5. Place the bird in a deep ceramic baking dish and surround with chopped vegetables, medium chop is fine. Then sprinkle or place herbs liberally on the vegetables along with the remaining garlic cloves. Don't be scared about using too much you can pick them out later.
6. Cover the whole dish with aluminium foil. If the bird is going to touch the foil simply rub some olive oil on the inside of the foil to prevent the skin from sticking (this works for all roasts!) Then place in the oven and cook to directions, which is usually 20-25mins per 500g but can vary depending on your oven. Once it has cooked for that amount of time, take the foil off and let it cook uncovered for 20-30mins so that the skin browns.
7. While your bird is in the oven you can prepare the yogurt. Start by placing half of the yogurt in a dish with the juice of 2 lemons and a liberal amount of salt and a dash of pepper. Taste it as you go and add more lemon juice of more yogurt depending on how strong you like it. You want it to taste quite sharp and sour so it cuts through the richness of the bird and vegetables so don't be afraid if it seems like its a bit too sour. You can always add more yogurt to make it a bit mellower later. Once you have mixed it to your taste let it rest in the fridge covered.
8. Once the bird is cooked (you can test it by sticking a skewer in the breast and if the juices run out clear then it is cooked) simply remove from the oven and serve with vegetables and yogurt. The yogurt also tastes great with steamed green vegetables so feel free to add your favourites such as broccoli or brussels sprouts.
9. Enjoy!