Hairy Bikers' citrus chicken breast recipe

A great alternative to Christmas turkey, the Hairy Biker's juicy citrus crust chicken breast is from their new BBC2 Christmas special, The Twelve Days of Christmas

Ingredients

• 6 chicken breasts
• 6tbsp olive oil
• 100g smoked fatty streaky bacon, cut into lardons
• 2 limes (juice of 1 lime, zest of 2 limes)
• 2tsp cracked black pepper
• 2 clove garlic (crushed into a paste)
• 2tsp thyme leaves
• 1tsp sea salt flakes

Method

1. In a pestle and mortar, add the lime zest, black pepper, garlic, salt and thyme leaves and crush, then add in 4tbsp of olive oil and the lime juice and pound into a paste. Set this paste aside.
2. Score the chicken breast in three or four places.
3. Heat the rest of the olive oil in a frying pan, sauté the lardons until crispy and the bacon fat is extracted.
4. Sear the chicken breasts on both sides to seal and give a little colour.
5. Place the chicken on a roasting tray skin side up and paint on the lime zesty paste. Put the chicken into a med/hot oven 180ºC for about 20 mins, basting frequently until cooked (check that the juices run clear when the thickest part of the breasts are pierced with a skewer).
6. Leave to rest for 10 mins, reserve the resting juices, then slice and serve.