Oven Lemon Chicken With Potatoes

Here's a really quick, easy recipe. Many Greek dishes take quite a bit of preparation so many people just don't bother. If you are living a busy life, the thought of getting in from work and creating a moussaka or something puts most off (and I am talking about Greek people too - the younger ones living away from the family home especially).

So here's something that takes just a few minutes to sort out and the oven does the rest while you relax with a glass or three of retsina while watching 'The Strictly Pro Celebrity Get Me Out Of here I Am A Pop Idol Factor Final' on TV.

This dish appears in many Paleochora tavernas and is a firm favourite with locals and tourists alike.



Quantities will obviously vary according to how many you are cooking for. So you will need;

Some chicken pieces, breasts or leg joints preferably on the bone.

Medium potatoes - allow one per person

Olive oil

Juice of a lemon or two

Dried oregano

Salt & pepper.

After you have put the oven on at 180 centigrade, the first thing to do is peel and chop the potatoes. You can do them like in the photo or in wedges but don't make them too big and don't make them too small either. Look at the photo for a guide. Then plonk them in some cold, salted water and bring them to the boil. Then, when the have been boiling for 5 mins, drain them as they should be just par-cooked and not properly cooked through.

While the potatoes were doing their thing on the hob, you will have been sorting out the chicken.

Get a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Wash the chicken, pad dry with kitchen towel and place the chicken pieces in the tray with some space between them. Sprinkle with just a pinch of salt & pepper.

Mix the lemon juice with olive oil - in a 1:3 proportion. So a third lemon juice to 2 thirds olive oil. Add a tablespoon of oregano and salt & pepper and mix thouroughly with a fork so it becomes opaque.

Place the drained potatoes around the chicken and drizzle your oil & lemon mixture over all, chicken and potatoes. You can also throw in the squeezed lemon halves if you wish.

Cover with foil and bake in the oven for an hour and a quarter (if you are using small pieces of chicken or chicken fillets then this time can be reduced to 50 minutes- 1 hour). Then, take off the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes until the chicken and potatoes have coloured nicely.

There you are! Serve with a side salad or cook some green beans, Greek style, to go with it.