Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1.5 kg chicken (organic, if possible)
  • 2 lemons (halved)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 750 g white potatoes (cut into 40g / 1½ oz pieces (ish!))
  • 8 cloves garlic (gently bashed)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 6 bay leaves
  • Green veg or Greek salad to serve

Instruction

  • Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C Fan / gas mark 7 / 425F
  • Place your chicken in a large roasting dish and squeeze over the juice of 1 lemon (don’t throw the squeezed lemon skins away, though!). Drizzle the chicken with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle over a good couple of pinches of salt and pepper. Rub this mixture all over the chicken and then pour in a further 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the base of the tray.
  • Sprinkle the chicken with 3 teaspoons of dried oregano and put one of the squeezed lemon halves and 2 bay leaves in the chicken’s cavity.
  • Cover with foil and place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile place the potatoes into a large pan and cover with boiling water. Bring back to the boil and cook for a further 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes, allow them to steam dry for a couple of minutes (sitting in the colander) and then return them to the saucepan, clamp on the lid and shake until the potatoes have rough edges.
  • Remove the chicken from the oven and tip the potatoes in so they are evenly arranged around the chicken. Squeeze the juice of the other lemon over the potatoes and put the 3 remaining lemon halves into the tray too. Sprinkle a little more salt and pepper and the remaining 1 teaspoon of oregano over the potatoes. Tuck the remaining bay leaves and the garlic cloves around the chicken.
  • Baste the potatoes and the chicken with the hot oil in the pan by tilting the pan to the side and collecting some of the oil/pan juices in a large spoon. Drizzle over the chicken and potatoes until all are covered.
  • Return the pan to the oven and cook for a further 45 minutes (so the chicken has had a total of 1h in the oven). If you can, try to baste the chicken and potatoes once or twice during this time.
  • After the 45 minutes are up, check the chicken is cooked and then remove to a board or tray to rest (cover with foil if your room is cold, but otherwise don’t as it will make the skin less crispy).
  • Turn the potatoes in the lemony juices and return them to the oven for a final 15 minutes to get really brown and crispy, while the chicken rests.
  • Carve the chicken and serve with the roast potatoes and a green salad, Greek salad or seasonal veg.