Nigella Lawson's slow-roasted garlic and lemon chicken is a one-pan dish that serves four to six people and keeps any leftovers fresh for up to three days. The recipe requires minimal supervision and washing up, making it ideal for time-pressed households.
What the recipe notes say
The recipe notes describe the dish as "gloriously easy": "You just put everything in the roasting dish and leave it to cook in the oven, pervading the house with the summer scent of lemon and thyme-and, of course, mellow, almost honeyed garlic."
The idea came from long-cooked French chicken casseroles with whole garlic cloves, with the addition of lemon as a "major player": "Left in chunks to cook slowly in the oven, they seem almost to caramelise, and you can eat them, skin, pith and all, their sour bitterness sweetened in the heat."
Ingredients and method
The dish uses one chicken (approximately 2.25kg) cut into 10 pieces, one bulb of garlic separated into unpeeled cloves, two unwaxed lemons cut into eight chunky pieces, a handful of fresh thyme, three tablespoons of olive oil, 150ml white wine, black pepper and one teaspoon of sea salt flakes.
The oven is heated to 160°C/140°C Fan before the chicken pieces are arranged in a roasting tin with the garlic cloves, lemon chunks and thyme. The thyme leaves are loosely stripped from the stalks, keeping some whole for scattering over later. The oil is poured in and all ingredients are combined by hand before spreading the mixture out, ensuring every piece of chicken is skin-side up. The white wine is scattered over the top, followed by generous seasoning with freshly ground pepper and sea salt flakes.
Cooking and serving
The tin is covered tightly with foil and placed in the oven for two hours. After that, the foil is removed and the oven temperature is increased to 200°C/180°C Fan. The uncovered chicken cooks for a further 30 to 45 minutes until the skin turns golden brown and the lemons char and caramelise around the edges.
The recipe notes add: "I like to serve this as it is, straight from the roasting tin: so just strew with your remaining thyme and dole out."
