Marinated roast chicken

Tamara West

Mention Easter and fluffy yellow chicks and eggs, (chocolate ones of course) come to mind. Easter egg hunts were, and still are, part of our family get-together on Easter Sunday. And sitting down to a jolly good feast once the eggs were found. Not that all of them were located, however — all these years later, my aunt is still digging up gold (Easter foil) in her garden. Chocolate and chickens are the inspiration for my family feast this Easter weekend.

We love preparing a chook this way — the delicious flavours are rich and warm, helped along by the marinating process. This dish is a favourite in our busy family house mainly because it’s so quick to put the marinade together with the chicken. We get it ready the day before, then just pop it in the oven.

Chicken

2	Whole chickens, size 16, or 2kg chicken pieces (Main)
2 Tbsp	Olive oil
1	Lemon, juice and zest
4	Bay leaves
1 Tbsp	Chopped rosemary
1 cup	White wine
½ cup	Honey
1 tsp	Salt
8 cloves	Garlic
⅓ cup	Pitted green olives
½ cup	Dried cranberries
¼ cup	Capers

Polenta chips

500 ml	Water
500 ml	Milk
2 tsp	Salt
150 g	Instant polenta, and extra for dusting (Main)
25 g	Parmesan cheese
1 serving	Flour, for dusting
2	Eggs
1 serving	Vegetable oil, for frying

Slaw

3	Red apples
1 large	Mango
6	Radishes
¼ cup	Mint leaves, sliced
2 Tbsp	Lemon juice
2 Tbsp	Olive oil
⅓ cup	Hazelnuts

Directions

Chicken

1. Cut the legs and breasts off the chicken (keep the carcass for chicken stock or soup).
2. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, bay leaves, rosemary, wine, honey, salt and some freshly ground black pepper together and marinate the chicken in it overnight.
3. Heat the oven to 180C. Place chicken and marinade in a roasting tray with garlic cloves, olives, cranberries and capers.
4. Roast for 1 hour basting the chook by spooning over the roasting juices every 15 minutes to glaze.
5. Serve with polenta chips and slaw (recipes below).

Polenta chips

1. In a pot bring the water, milk and salt to the boil.
2. Add the polenta and whisk continuously until it is all combined, then bring back to boiling.
3. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes, whisking every few minutes.
4. Add the parmesan then pour into a 20x30cm tray lined with plastic wrap. Allow to cool and set in the fridge.
5. Cut into chips, dust with flour, whisk the eggs then dip the chips in the egg wash and then into the polenta. Place on a paper towel and in the fridge ready to cook.
6. Fry the chips in hot oil until golden, drain on paper towels, season with fine salt.

Slaw

1. Carefully slice apples into matchsticks using a mandolin, or with a large sharp knife.
2. Peel and dice mango, slice radish and place in a bowl with apple. Add mint, lemon juice and olive oil.
3. Lightly season with salt, gently mix, and then sprinkle hazelnuts on top.