Preserved lemon roast chicken

Woolworths is committed to sustainability via our good business journey. Seasonal (and other) products might not always be in stock.

Preserved lemon adds beautiful intensity to the crispy skin of this succulent roasted chicken. Serve it with rosmarino – a rice-shaped pasta – stirred through with Khanya’s genius pesto made of green beans, parsley, macadamia nuts and plenty of hard cheese.

Ingredients

1 whole free-range chicken
200 g Woolworths preserved lemons
Salt and pepper, to taste
60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
150 g rosmarino, cooked
For the green bean pesto
300 g green beans, chopped
20 g Italian parsley
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
50 g Woolworths hard cheese, grated
80 g macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.

2. Put the preserved lemons in the food processor and blitz until smooth. Rub the chicken liberally with the preserved lemon paste, season with salt and black pepper and drizzle with the olive oil.

3. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, turning halfway through and basting with the pan juices until golden brown with a crisp, slightly sticky skin.

4. To make the green bean pesto, blanch the green beans for 3 minutes and place in icy water to stop cooking.

5. Place the beans along with all the remaining ingredients in the food processor, setting aside 100g of the cooked green beans, and blitz until smooth, whilst maintaining its chunky texture. Stir through the cooked rosmarino.

6. To serve, dish up the orzo on a serving platter and top with the chicken. Drizzle on the remaining cooking juices and serve right away.

Find more roast chicken recipes here.

Photograph: Jan Ras
Videography: Barry de Villiers
Food assistant: Thandiwe Mamacos