Roast lemon chicken with cauliflower couscous
This one’s a hearty main meal packed full of goodness. And you can add all sorts in the mix, including flatbreads and hummus.
Roast lemon chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5kg whole cornfed chicken
- Olive oil
- 1 lemon
- Salt
Details
- Serves: 4-6
- Prep time: 10 mins
- Cooking time: 1hr 10 mins (and 15 mins resting)
- Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins
Method
Pre-heat oven to 170°C (fan).
Drizzle a roasting tray large enough to hold the chicken with a little extra virgin olive oil. Sit the chicken on the oil. Rub the chicken all over with plenty of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
Cut the lemon in half and stuff the cavity of the chicken with the lemon halves.
Roast uncovered in the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the juices run clear.
Remove from the oven, cover with tin foil and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes. Carve and serve warm.
Cauliflower couscous
Ingredients
- 200g chickpeas
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- pinch of paprika
- pinch of salt
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 8 cherry tomatoes, diced
- ½ cucumber, diced
- handful fresh parsley, chopped
- 30 g pine nuts or pistachios, toasted
- 50g pomegranate seeds
- Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients – dressing
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 6-8 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Details
- Serves: 8
- Prep time: 10 mins
- Cooking time: 30 mins
- Total time: 40 mins
Method
Pre-heat oven to 200°C.
Mix the chickpeas in a bowl with the oil, spices and salt. Spread on a baking tray and bake at 200°C for 30 minutes until browned and crisp. Set aside.
To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
Cut the cauliflower into florets and transfer to a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Pulse until you have a couscous-like consistency. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add all of the remaining salad ingredients, including the chickpeas, pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with the roast chicken.
Wine pairing
Hatzidakis Santorini Assyrtiko 2016, 14% – a delicious, tangy, fairly full-bodied white that’s subtle and wonderfully food friendly. A taste of the Med in a glass – beautiful with the chicken and couscous.