Roast lemon-and-olive chicken

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

“This chicken is delicious served hot over the cold tomatoes with the pan juices; the contrast of flavours and temperatures is a party in your mouth! And the yoghurt aïoli pulls all the elements together.” – Hannah Lewry

Ingredients

200 g black olives, pitted and chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 g fresh oregano or thyme, chopped
100 g butter
1 whole free-range chicken, spatchcocked
3 T olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
600 g Woolworths exotic tomatoes, quartered and sliced
100 g jar capers, brine reserved
4 anchovies, finely chopped
4 celery sticks and leaves, thinly sliced
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the aïoli:
1 head garlic, roasted
1 t Dijon mustard
sea salt, to taste
2 yolks large free-range egg
2 cups canola oil
1 lemon, juiced
3-4 T plain double-thick yoghurt

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Combine the olives, lemon, garlic, herbs and butter. Gently push under the skin of the chicken and evenly spread all over the outside.

2. Place on a baking tray, drizzle with 1 T olive oil and season. Roast for 1 hour or until golden, crispy and cooked through.

3. Toss the tomatoes with the capers and their brine, the remaining olive oil, anchovies, celery and leaves and a generous crack of black pepper. Chill while the chicken cooks.

4. When the chicken is ready, portion it and place on a platter while still hot. Add the cold-dressed tomatoes and pour over the hot chicken pan juices. Serve with the garlic aïoli yoghurt sauce and either hot baked potatoes or crusty bread.

5. To make the aïoli, mash the garlic cloves with the mustard to make a paste. Add the salt and whisk in the egg yolks. Gradually add the oil in a very light stream. Whisk in the oil until completely incorporated before adding more. Once thickened, whisk in the lemon juice to taste. Store in a jar for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. To serve with the chicken, mix ½ cup with the yoghurt and add salt to taste.

Cook's note: Spatchcocking a chicken creates a more even cooking surface area (plus more skin to crisp up!) over which to spread the flavoured butter.

Adding plain yoghurt to the aïoli gives you the best of both worlds: creamy garlic goodness and tangy yoghurt to cut the richness. Use any leftover yoghurt mayo on bagels with smoked salmon and chopped fresh dill.

Photograph: Jan Ras
Production: Hannah Lewry
Food assistant: Claire-Ellen Gooderson

Find more tomato recipes here.