Serves 4
Greek people know how to enjoy life! And of course an important part of this is sharing great food. You’ll fancy you are in the Greek Islands when you smell the aromas and taste the flavors of this succulent chicken!
Ingredients
- 1 large plump free range chicken
- 4 tablespoons Nuggetty Creek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- Black pepper
- Leon leaves or lemon verbena (optional)
- 1 lemon, quartered
- Sprigs of fresh oregano
Greek Salad
- 3 ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 125g feta cheese, diced
- Black olives
- Italian parsley leaves
- Seasoned pepper
- Little salt
- Nuggetty Creek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Method
Trim any excess fat from the chicken, place the quartered lemon; lemon or lemon verbena leaves and oregano sprigs into the cavity of the chicken, tie the legs together neatly.
In a small bowl, mix together Nuggetty Creek Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lemon juice, dried oregano and pepper. Rub gently but thoroughly all over the chicken and roast in an 180c* pre-heated oven up to 2 hours, depending on the size of the bird etc. (To check, press a satay stick into the thigh of the bird, juices should run clear.)
While chicken cooks, prepare the salad. Place diced tomatoes and sliced onion into a bowl, toss in the feta, olives, parsley leaves, pepper and salt. Pour over a generous quantity of Nuggetty Creek Extra Virgin Olive Oil and mix in gently. A dash of lemon juice or vinegar may also be added, but be discreet, the flavor of the oil should be a hero!
Remove cooked chicken from oven, allow to stand for a few minutes for juices to settle, then cut into serving portions. A light gravy may be made from the pan juices mixed with a little sour cream
Serve with Greek salad and a tossed green salad dressed with Nuggetty Creek Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a little red wine vinegar. Not Greek, but a slightly warmed ciabatto, torn into chunks, is a perfect accompaniment.
A chilled young Riesling, sauvignon blanc or a pinot would be a good choice to serve with the dish. And a bit of Greek music in the background would do no harm!
To create a crisp golden skin, you can cook the chicken in a pre-heated 220c oven for the first 10 – 15 minutes before reducing to suggested temperature.