lime feta roast chicken

There was a 200g feta cheese offer in Morrison’s last week and me being
me (can’t walk away from a bargain), bought the block even though I
hardly ever eat the stuff. I love cheese don’t get me wrong; mature
chedder, brie, roule, boursin, I can’t get enough of it! Feta has a
beautiful tangy taste but a somewhat strange texture that’s quite
crumbly and yet ’spongy’ at the same time…feels unsettling in my mouth.
I crumbled some of it onto an omelette the day before, it tasted great,
but how many feta cheese omelettes can one have in a week?

Thats when I thought “that sharp tangy taste would go great with a roast chicken”. I went out, bought a chicken, and set out to make this unusual roast. It was divine; the feta cheese worked its way through the meat, tenderising it, while the lime zest cut through the rich buttery taste of the creamy melted feta chicken giving a lovely fresh aftertaste. Don’t get put off by the idea of a roast, its not as difficult as many think, its a few minutes of preparation and it cooks itself in the oven!

Serves 4

Takes 20 minutes to make, I hour 10 minutes in the oven, plus resting time

1 large chicken (approximately 1.5 kilos)

2 tbsp olive oil

150g feta cheese

grated rind of 1 lime

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 clove of garlic (chopped finely)

1 medium onion (sliced in rounds)

FOR THE GRAVY

15g butter

1 tsp flour

200ml chicken stock

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas 7. Rinse the chicken inside and out, pat dry with kitchen paper (this makes sure that the chicken becomes crispy).
2. Make the feta cheese paste. Mix the olive oil, feta cheese, lime rind, parsley, and garlic in a bowl with some black pepper. From the neck part of the chicken, work your fingers between the skin and breast. Push in the feta paste and spread it evenly across the breast, thigh and drumstick meat. Cut the rest of the lime in half and place it in the cavity. Truss chicken.
3. Put the onion slices into the roasting tray. Place the chicken in the roasting tin ON TOP on the onions and rub salt and pepper on the skin (again this is for crispiness!). Cover with foil and roast for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the foil, lower the oven temperature to 200°C/gas 6 and roast for a further 30 minutes. To check for done-ness, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer, if the juices run clear then the chicken is ready, if still pink, place chicken in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
5. Transfer chicken to a plate, and cover with foil. Set aside for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Skim the fat from the roasting tin, place chicken juices into a saucepan over a medium heat. Mix the butter and flour together and whisk into the chicken juices for 1 minute. Gradually add the stock, then bubble for 5 minutes, whisking, until thickened.
7. Put the chicken on a large platter, garnish with more parsley and serve with roast potatoes, steamed vegetables, or lots of buttery mash if you like! Enjoy!