Love roast dinners? Why not try our simple lemon chicken, just pour lemon juice over chicken and roast for 2 hours with onions, leeks and fennel. So easy and simple to make.
Ingredients
- 1.75kg (3¾lb) chicken
- 2 lemons
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced
- 1 head of fennel, trimmed and finely sliced
- 1 large leek, trimmed and sliced
- 6 sprigs of thyme or basil
Method
Set the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Use a peeler to take the skin off the lemons and cut half of the shavings into thin strips. Juice the lemons.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, season the chicken and brown it all over. Set it aside on a plate.
Add the onion to the pan and cook for 5 mins, then add the fennel and leek and cook for another 5 mins. Put the vegetables into a casserole or roasting tin, add the thyme or basil sprigs. Place the chicken on top, pour over the juice from the 2 lemons and sprinkle with the lemon strips and shavings.
Pour in 300ml (½ pint) hot water, cover with lid or foil, and cook for 1½ hours. Take off the foil and continue cooking for 30-40 mins more or until juices run clear from the thigh when pierced with a skewer, and the vegetables are tender.
Leave for 10 mins before serving, straight from the dish, spooning the vegetables and lemony juices over each portion of meat.
Top tip for making Lemon roast chicken
Eat any leftover meat cold, but heat leftover veg in their juices to serve with it.
