WHAT’S COOKING: Lemony Greek roast chicken and potatoes

Think Greek cuisine, think lemon, think garlic, think oregano. Thyme and mint too, and cinnamon of course, though not all of them are in this dish. I used lemon, oregano and mint, along with garlic and a couple of bay leaves.

Speaking of lemon, one of my favourite Greek preparations is avgolemono, which can be a soup or a sauce, and is all about lemon and egg. That too can be used in a chicken bake, though again, not this time. I’ll have a go at that for you soon.

In the meantime, let’s explore this simple but truly satisfying Greek family classic. Most often, it is made using chicken portions, especially thighs, which are often, and sensibly, the go-to portion for a chicken bake.

But this beloved dish can be made with a whole roasted chicken too.

To make sure that the potatoes cook through and have time to turn golden brown while cooking alongside the chicken, it’s best to parboil them first, but don’t take them so far that they risk falling apart. Just 10 minutes of steady boiling is enough.

Of course there is olive oil in this, and not too small a splash of it please. But I used butter as well, to make the chicken, well, buttery.

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 large chicken, wingtips removed, rinsed and patted dry in and out

4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

⅓ cup olive oil, or more

Juice and zest of 2 lemons

A few sprigs of mint, chopped finely

A few sprigs of oregano, chopped finely

3 garlic cloves, crushed and then chopped

2 bay leaves

3 Tbsp more olive oil for the chicken

2 Tbsp butter

Salt

Black pepper

Method

Parboil the potatoes for 10 minutes in rapidly boiling, lightly salted water. Rinse in cold water in a colander and drain.

Preheat the oven to at least 200℃, or higher if you know your oven well.

In a bowl large enough to hold the potatoes, mix half of the olive oil, the juice and zest of 1 lemon, half of the mint, half of the oregano and half of the garlic, and season with salt and black pepper. Dry the potato quarters and toss in this.

Add the remaining lemon juice and zest, mint, oregano, garlic and olive oil to a small bowl, and brush this all over the chicken. 

Season the cavity of the chicken. Stuff a few more mint and oregano sprigs inside the bird.

Oil the bottom of a roasting pan, place the two bay leaves in the middle, and put the chicken on top. 

Smear some butter on the breast for a bit of extra deliciousness.

Spoon the potatoes all around.

Roast, uncovered, for about 90 minutes, basting once or twice and turning the potatoes over.

Insert a skewer in the thickest part of the chicken breast to test for doneness; the juices should run clear. If pink, roast a little longer.

It’s pretty much a meal in itself, but if you want a green, some buttered peas or slices of courgette tossed in olive oil, garlic and lemon for a few minutes on a moderate heat, then seasoned, should do the trick. DM