Roasted Chicken with Capers, Lemon and Thyme
Chicken drumsticks and thighs marinated in lemon zest, fresh thyme, garlic, and red chillies, then roasted in white wine with capers and lemon slices. Tender, browned chicken with bright citrus and herbaceous flavours developed during a minimum 2-hour refrigerated marinade, finished with pan juices.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Trim excess skin from chicken pieces and place in a shallow dish.
- 2
Finely grate zest from 2 lemons into the dish, then add their juice.
- 3
Pour in half the olive oil, add picked thyme leaves, chopped chillies, halved garlic cloves, and 1 tbsp capers.
- 4
Toss to coat, then marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- 5
Heat oven to 350°F fan or gas 6.
- 6
Heat remaining olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan over medium heat.
- 7
Working in batches, remove chicken from marinade, shake off excess liquid, and pat dry with kitchen paper.
- 8
Brown chicken pieces on all sides in the pan, then return to marinade.
- 9
Pour off excess fat from pan, leaving a slick of oil.
- 10
Slice remaining 3 lemons into discs and arrange on pan base.
- 11
Place browned chicken on top in a single packed layer, skin side up.
- 12
Pour marinade juices, white wine, and remaining capers over chicken.
- 13
Roast for 45 minutes, basting halfway through with pan juices.
- 14
Rest for 5 minutes, then serve with choice of sides.
Tips
Soak salted capers in water for 2 hours before use to reduce saltiness.
Pat chicken dry after removing from marinade to ensure even browning.
Baste chicken halfway through roasting to keep meat moist and develop flavour.
Good to Know
Cover and refrigerate leftover chicken in pan juices up to 3 days.
Marinate chicken overnight in fridge for deeper flavour development.
Serve warm with roasted vegetables, crusty bread, or rice to soak pan juices.
Common Mistakes
Skip patting chicken dry before browning to avoid steam preventing colour development.
Overcrowd the pan when browning to ensure all pieces brown rather than steam.
Skip basting to avoid dry chicken meat by cooking time.