Oven baked tangy chicken and vegetables
This tangy baked chicken was the first bird I experimented with in my new wood-fired oven. I managed to hunt down a bio-dynamic free-range chicken that I carved into pieces and caressed with lots of molasses and a touch of orange juice. I spiced it a little, added in-season vegetables and baked slowly. Baste as you go and serve with cous sous or polenta, and pour the juices over the top.
Ingredients
1 free-range organic chicken, cut into pieces
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 red capsicums, halved and seeded
4 fresh artichokes
juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup baby shallots, skinned and left whole
4 garlic cloves, skinned and left whole
¼ cup whole green olives
2 tbsp preserved lemon, finely sliced
2 tbsp fresh mint, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh coriander, roughly chopped
1 tbsp dukkah
Method
In a heavy-based frying pan add olive oil over a high flame and slowly seal each piece of the chicken until golden on all sides. Set aside.
Smear capsicums with a tablespoon of oil and place into a very hot grill to char the skin. Toss into a plastic bag to steam until cold then remove outer skin and slice into 2 cm lengths. Set aside.
To prepare the artichokes remove the outer fibrous leaves and a third of the spiny top and cut off some stem. With a pairing knife, cut around the heart of the choke, removing a little of the outer fibrous skin. Cut each artichoke into 4 and sit in a bowl of water with lemon juice.
Place the chicken pieces into a bowl and smear thoroughly with the pomegranate molasses, orange juice, salt and pepper. Put this mixture into a heavy baking tray or cast iron pan with the roasted capsicum slices, artichokes, shallots, garlic cloves and green olives.
Bake for 40 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180C, basting regularly.
To serve
Once cooked, serve at the table topped with a sprinkling of the preserved lemon, mint coriander and some dukkah, accompanied by some cous cous or soft polenta.
The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.
Sign up
