Cheeky Lemon and Herb Chicken
This roasted chicken is marinaded in a punchy lemon and herb sauce to make a succulent, deeply flavourful take on everyone's favourite Portuguese-style chicken.
Introduction
My favourite no-fuss restaurant to meet my friends is a popular cheeky chicken restaurant but sometimes we want to stay at home and save money so I’ll whip up this flavour-packed lemon and herb marinated chicken. Paired with piri-piri chips and Fanta with no ice, I’m basically dancing in the Portuguese restaurant.
Ingredients
| 1.3–1.6kg | whole chicken |
| Salt and pepper | |
| For the marinade sauce: | |
|---|---|
| 1 | red pepper |
| 2 | African bird’s eye chillies, deseeded |
| 12 | garlic cloves, roughly chopped |
| 20ml | white wine vinegar |
| 75ml | olive oil |
| 1 tsp | paprika |
| 2 sprigs of | rosemary, leaves picked |
| 30g | fresh parsley, chopped |
| 2 | lemons, juiced |
| 75ml | Greek yoghurt |
| 1 tbsp | salt |
Method
First, toss all your sauce ingredients into a blender and whizz until you get a smooth, creamy mixture. If it looks a bit chunky,
just scrape down the sides and give it another go to make sure everything is well combined. Taste a little of the sauce – if it needs a bit more punch, add some extra salt, pepper or chilli flakes until it’s just right for you.
Next, heat a large saucepan over medium heat, pour in your sauce and cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens up nicely. Transfer to a serving bowl or other heatproof container and let it cool slightly, then cover and pop in the fridge for a few hours (this helps the flavours really come together).
When you are ready to cook, preheat your oven to 200°C fan. Spatchcock your chicken (see note below), season with salt and pepper and place in a roasting tray. Pour about half of your delicious sauce all over the chicken, then roast for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chicken is fully cooked through and the juices run clear, basting the chicken every 10 minutes with the remaining sauce
Note: To spatchcock the chicken, place it breast-side down on a chopping board. Cut along both sides of the backbone using sharp kitchen scissors, removing it entirely. Turn the chicken over and press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten the
bird.
Tip: When it’s cooled, move your chicken into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Leftovers work great on a bed of boiled sushi rice with pak choi or broccoli
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