PORTUGUESE CHICKEN
THIS RECIPE IS FROM MY COOKBOOK CONFIDENCE IN THE KITCHEN
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 x 1.5 kg chicken
½ lemon, cut into thin wedges
100 g butter, cut into cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
STUFFING
100 g (1 cup) store-bought chicken stuffing mix (or coarse breadcrumbs mixed with 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs)
Handful of dried cranberries
Pinch of sea salt
50 g butter, cut into cubes
MARINADE
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 lemon, zested
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon store-bought chilli paste or chilli sambal
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Pat the skin of the chicken dry with paper towel.
To make the stuffing, combine the stuffing mix, cranberries and salt in a bowl. Gradually add about 3 tablespoons of water – just enough to make the mixture wet and firm. Toss through the butter. Now stuff the chicken cavity alternately with the stuffing and the lemon wedges. Tie the legs together using kitchen string, then place in a roasting tin.
To make the marinade, mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
If you have sensitive skin, use kitchen gloves for the next step as the chilli can burn. Gently pull the chicken skin away from the flesh (take care not to tear it) and ease the butter cubes and some of the marinade evenly under the skin. Spread the remaining marinade over the top and bottom of the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
Cover the chicken with foil and pop into the oven for 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when the knife is inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
Take the chicken out of the oven and let it rest for at least 30 minutes if you can. This will allow all of the juices to run back into the chicken, leaving the flesh soft and succulent.
Increase the oven temperature to 220°C.
Remove the foil from the chicken and pop it back in the oven for 20 minutes to crisp up the skin and give it some colour. Serve with my Roast Potatoes.
