Roast Chicken with Preserved Lemon | Ottolenghi

There are many ways to skin a cat. By the same token, there are many ways to roast a chicken. I don’t roast a chicken whole as often as I’d like. Consider that it was four years ago when I last posted the Zuni Cafe chicken. Notably, my preferred roast chicken method is to get a small three-pound bird, butterfly it and then roast. However, if there are ways to improve an old classics, I’m game.

There is no marinating the chicken for days to moisten the meat which is how I usually do it. Meanwhile in Ottolenghi’s Simple, the method is to make a buttery herb paste. That includes: unsalted butter, fresh thyme leaves, garlic cloves, preserved lemon, zest of a lemon, salt and pepper. Place the ingredients in a food processor and blitz to combine. This is a quick recipe using mostly pantry items which makes it easy to do for a weekday meal.

The herb butter paste is then rubbed under the skin of the bird and spread all over its breasts and legs. Drizzle the chicken with lemon juice and more seasoning. Now it’s ready for the oven. Roast for about 70 minutes until the skin is golden brown.

For some reasons, my chicken gets quite burned and I have to place a foil over it before it turns completely black. Perhaps I should lower the oven temperature to below 400°F that the recipe calls for, at least in minutes close to the end of roasting. Alternatively, leave more of the herb paste inside rather than outside the bird.

This roast chicken is distinct from the everyday chicken we are accustomed to. The flavor is herbaceous and intense. The meat is moist in spite of its uneven dark brown look. In the end, you’re rewarded with the extraordinary depth of flavor atypical of most roast chickens. (The credits go to the preserved lemons. They are easier to make than you think. See the recipe below for details.) I’ll make it again, for sure.

Print Recipe

Roast Chicken with Preserved Lemon

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 70g unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tbsp thyme leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 (2 1/2 tsp) small preserved lemon, flesh and skin roughly chopped
• Finely grated zest ( 1 tsp) of 1 lemon, plus 1 ½ tbsp juice, to drizzle
• Flaky sea salt and black pepper
• 1.5kg/ 3 1/2 lb free-range chicken
• PRESERVED LEMONS:
• 6 unwaxed lemon
• 6 tbsp coarse sea salt
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 1 large red chile
• juice of 6 lemon
• olive oil

Instructions

1

Heat the oven to 400°F. Put the butter, thyme, garlic, preserved lemon, lemon zest, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper in a food processor. Blitz, then set aside while you tackle the bird.

2

With the chicken’s legs pointing towards you, use your hands to loosen the skin from the breasts. Spread most of the butter mixture evenly over the breasts, under the skin, then smear the remaining butter over the legs. Put the chicken in a medium-sized, high-sided baking tray, drizzle with the lemon juice and sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper.

3

Roast for about 70 minutes, basting every 15 minutes or so, until the skin is golden-brown and crisp, and the juices run clear (stick the tip of a sharp knife into the thickest part of the thigh to check; if the juices are still a little pink, just give the bird five to 10 minutes more cooking).

4

Remove from the oven, leave to rest for 10 minutes, then carve and serve.

5

TO MAKE PRESERVED LEMON: (the same for limes)

6

Get a jar large enough to accomodate all the lemons snuggly. To sterilize it, fill it with boiling water, leave for a minutes, and then empty it. Allow it to dry out naturally without wiping it so it remains sterilized.

7

Wash the lemons and cut a deep cross all the way from the top to with 3/4 inch / 2 cm before the base. Stuff each lemon with 1 tablespoon of the salt and place it in the jar. Push the lemons in tightly so they are squeezed together snuggly. Seal the jar and leave it in a cool spot for at least a week.

8

After the initial period, remove the lid and press the lemons as hard as you can to squeeze out most of the juice. Add the rosemary, chile and lemon juice and cover with a thin layer of olive oil. Seal the jar and leave in a cool place for at least 4 weeks. The longer you leave them, the better the flavor.

Notes

Adapted from Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jul/16/roast-chicken-preserved-lemon-garlic-recipe-yotam-ottolenghi-roast-turnips-buckwheat-salad