Roasted chicken with lemon, oregano and potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon + ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 kg waxy potatoes, peeled and sliced ½ cm thick
1 head garlic, split in half
2 onions, peeled and cut into 6 wedges each
2 lemons, 1 sliced and the other just cut in half
6-8 sprigs fresh oregano
1 tablespoon dried oregano
250ml chicken stock
50ml white wine
20g (1 tablespoon) tomato paste

Method:

1.     If your chicken is in a bag, remove it from the bag and give it a quick rinse and pat it dry. Season your chicken with salt all over and if time allows, leave it uncovered in your refrigerator for up to 3 days but even if you just have 30 minutes that is still better than nothing.

2.     Pat the chicken dry and rub lightly with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle black pepper over the whole chicken and set it aside to come to room temperature before roasting. Fill the cavity of the bird with the whole lemon that has been cut in half and tie the legs together. Tying the legs together is not absolutely essential it just make for a more handsome roast.

3.     Preheat your oven to 250C conventional (230C fan forced).

4.     In your roasting pan combine the ¼ cup of olive oil, potatoes, garlic, onions and lemon slices with a sprinkling of salt. Toss to combine. Roast this for 30 minutes.

5.     After 30 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and add the oregano sprigs, the dried oregano and toss to combine.  Place the chicken on top of the potatoes.

6.     In a cup or jug combine the chicken stock, white wine and tomato paste and whisk to combine.  Pour this over the chicken and into the tray.

7.     Roast the chicken for approximately 45-60 minutes. After 30 minutes of roasting, reduce the oven temp to 200C conventional (180C fan-forced) and continue cooking until an internal thermometer tested in the thickest part of the chicken registers at least 65C.

Note: Use your judgement, if it is getting too dark before it is finished, reduce the oven temperature sooner. You want a deeply golden brown crust but nothing burnt. Feel free to baste the chicken after roasting for 30 minutes and after it comes out of the oven.