This Little Pig made the terrible mistake of heading off to its local grocers on an empty stomach. Fabulous produce and glorious meats leapt into This Little Pig's shopping basket with surprising swiftness and soon this excited swine had a wonderful array of produce but no idea how it was all going to come together. Fortunately, a tiny tipple was left in a bottle of white wine on the kitchen bench and two of the items bought that day were chicken Marylands and a large punnet of fresh lemon thyme. This Little Pig had a bit of a light-bulb moment and proceeded to make the most amazing chicken that took it back to it's farm days of rustic pot belly fires, rain on the tin roof and golden, crispy roast chicken shared with the family.
Roasted Lemon Thyme Chicken with Crunchy Broccollini and Caramelized Garlic Mash.
Prep Time: 15 Mins. Cooking Time: 1 Hr.
Feeds: 4 Hungry Piglets.
Ingredients For Chicken:
1 x Kg Chicken Marylands (or 4 pieces)
1 x Bulb of Garlic
1 x Bunch Lemon Thyme
2 x Oranges
3 x Lemons
2 x Red Shallots
½ x Cup White Wine
2 x Tbs Olive Oil
2 x Broccollini Bunches
Ingredients for Mash:
1 x Garlic Clove
1 x Kg Chat Potatoes
50g x Marinated Persian Fetta
25g x Parsley
1 x Tbs Powdered Stock
Lashings of Salt & Pepper
How to Make Fabulousness:
Chicken:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Pat dry your chicken pieces with a paper towel and then nestle them in an oven tray and season with salt and pepper.
Using the back of your knife, firmly smack your garlic (a parental smack) to lightly crush it (we don’t want him leaping out of his skin just a little crushing).
Scatter the garlic, still with their skins on, throughout your chicken tray.
Peel and thickly slice your red shallots (2) and also place in your tray.
Cut your oranges (2) in half and squeeze all the juice out into a bowl.
Using the fine side of the grater, get the zest (yellow skin part) of one of your lemons (keep the rest of the lemon, you will use him on your veg later).
Slice your other 2 lemons into circle slices.
Nestle these lemon slices around your chicken.
Pour your white wine and orange juice over your chicken and top with your lemon thyme (pull some of the leaves off the stalk and leave some on – almost bruise some of the leaves to really release the flavours) and the zest of your lemon.
Season with salt, pepper and drizzle over the olive oil (2Tbs).
Place in the oven for 45-60 mins or until chicken is a dark, golden brown and cooked through.
Potato Mash:
Roughly chop your parsley and skin and finely dice your garlic clove.
Take ¾ of the cooked garlic from your chicken tray (once chicken is cooked) and using the back of a spoon, squeeze the caramelized garlic out of it’s skin.
Chop your potatoes (1 Kg) - This Little Pig doesn’t peel as it likes keeping the skin in there for texture and nutrients - into 2 cm cubes and place in a pot of water with your powdered stock (1 Tbs).
Bring to the boil and continue to boil until potatoes are soft through.
Reserving 1 cup of stock water, drain potatoes and then return to the pot or into a bowl to mash in your fetta, chopped parsley, cup of stock water (add in slowly as you may not need it all), lashings of pepper and your caramelized garlic.
Lemon Broccollini:
Slice your broccollini lengthways and place in a microwave proof container.
Microwave on high for 3 mins or until softening but still crunchy.
Squeeze the juice of your last zested lemon over the top (only use one half to begin with and test to your tastebuds).
Scrunch lots of pepper over the top.
To Serve:
Serve out your glorious mash, top with a piece of your crispy, golden, lemon infused chicken and all the caramelized shallots, lemon and remaining garlic. Serve with a side of crunchy broccolini, a fresh scrunch of pepper and tuck in piglets! Oink!
