By Sarah Gustafson
This recipe is brought to us by Sarah Gustafson, a talented cook and loving mother who has amazed us by her creative and exemplary culinary expertise. This dish is the perfect combination of practicality and grandeur, simply marinate the day before, prepare the fixing's, and pop in the oven the next day. Enjoy a mouth watering and complex meal even on a busy schedule.
INGREDIENTS:
For the chicken:
1 Whole Chicken (approximately 1.3 kg) cut into drumsticks, thighs, breasts & wings. If breasts are large cut in half. Substitute with an equal amount of chicken legs or breasts.
3 Lemons (reserve lemon zest from one lemon for the feta. Refrigerate in a sealed container)
2 Red Onions sliced in half and then each half cut into 3-4 wedges
2 heads of Garlic, skin on and sliced in half horizontally
350g Red Grapes (2.5 heaping cups)
1 Cup Chicken Stock
2 TBSP Greek Olive Oil
2 TBSP Greek Spice Blend
2 TSP Mountain Sumac
1 TSP Wild Afghan Cumin (crushed)
1 1/2 TSP Cyprus Pyramid Salt
1 TSP Kampot Black Pepper
1 TBSP Parsley leaves for serving
For the marinated feta topping:
3/4 Cup feta (try to use one that isn't too salty such as goat), cut into 1/2 cm cubes
Reserved lemon zest
1 Lemon, zest and juice
1 TSP Greek Spice Blend
1 TSP Aleppo Pepper
1/2 TSP Mountain Sumac
1/4 Cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
3 TBSP Greek Olive Oil
Couscous (to serve)
INSTRUCTIONS
Slice 2 lemons into 2cm thick slices and place into a large bowl. Grate the zest of the third lemon and reserve for the feta. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the bowl. Add the chicken, onion wedges, chicken stock, olive oil, Greek spice, cumin, sumac, salt, and pepper and mix well to combine. Nestle in the garlic halves (if you mix them in they can easily fall apart). Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight. The grapes roast faster than the chicken and will be added to the chicken part way through cooking time.
Preheat the oven to 425F. Be sure to remove the chicken from the refrigerator a good half hour before putting in the oven to bring it to room temperature.
Transfer the chicken skin side up to a large rimmed baking sheet and arrange the onions, lemon slices, and garlic halves around it. Pour over the marinade and drizzle some olive oil onto each piece of chicken and the garlic halves. Put the tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and scatter over the grapes (I like to leave a few on their stems in little bunches) and return to the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown.
While the chicken is roasting, prepare the marinated feta. Combine the feta, reserved lemon zest, lemon juice and zest, Greek spice, Aleppo pepper, sumac, parsley, and olive oil and stir to combine. Set aside.
Transfer the chicken, onions, grapes, lemons and garlic to a serving platter, spoon on some marinated feta (serve the rest in a small bowl), and scatter on the parsley leaves. As you eat the chicken squeeze on more lemon if you wish and smash the roasted garlic cloves with the back of your fork. Serve with couscous.