Lemon and olive chicken recipe

This easy lemon and olive chicken pot roast is packed full of Mediterranean flavours with lemon, parsley, garlic, olive oil and fruity green olives. It’s great for a simple family supper but is also special enough to serve for a simple dinner party with some steamed green beans and creamy mashed potato. For a complete one-pot meal replace the chicken livers with 400g peeled, sliced and par-boiled potatoes. If using green olives in brine, rinse them thoroughly before using, to avoid an overly salty flavour.

Ingredients

• 2tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 225g chicken livers, roughly chopped
• 2 large lemons
• 400ml hot chicken stock
• 4tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• 1.5kg oven-ready chicken
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 200g pitted green olives

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onions and garlic for 5 mins. Add the chicken livers and fry for a further few minutes until no longer pink. Transfer to a shallow ovenproof dish.
2. Finely grate the zest and squeeze the juice from 1 lemon and mix with chicken stock and parsley. Thinly slice the other lemon and add to the dish. Sit the chicken on top and pour over the lemon and herb flavoured stock. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Cover loosely with foil and roast in the oven for 45 mins. Remove the foil and baste the chicken with some of the cooking juices. Add the olives to the dish and return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 30-40 mins until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.