Mary Berry has revealed a quick and easy recipe that guarantees the juiciest chicken imaginable that will delight your dinner guests.
Tailored for both family dinners and dinner parties, the one-serving miracle takes less than an hour in the oven.
According to the acclaimed TV chef, the secret to taking this dish to new culinary heights lies in a single magical ingredient – preserved lemons. Renowned chef and author Yotam Ottolenghi defends this “ultimate flavor bomb” for any meal.
The citrusy kick and fresh sharpness of preserved lemons make them a perfect addition to sauces, salads, soups or stews.
Here’s a guide to making delicious chicken:
Ingredients
A kilo of peeled potatoes cut into pieces
Three tablespoons of olive oil
One large onion, sliced
Two crushed garlic cloves
Six smoked streaky bacon slices cut into 1 cm pieces
Six chicken thighs
Six chicken legs
Five preserved lemons, cut into quarters
One 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Three thickly sliced zucchini
One 200g can of olives stuffed with anchovies – drained
salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7; pour the potatoes into a large baking dish, drizzle two tablespoons of oil on top and push the potatoes all the way through to coat. Follow this by mixing in the onions, garlic, bacon and chicken slices.
Pour the lemons into the pan and enrich the spices – start dusting with paprika and send it to bake for 40 minutes.
Boil the zucchini in a separate bowl with the remaining oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper, place them among the chicken pieces and sprinkle the olives on top.
Return this assembly to the heat for another 20 minutes, until both the chicken and vegetables are golden brown and oozing with tenderness.
Happy Foodie has shared some sage advice for those aspiring to culinary greatness: avoid the temptation to overload your baking sheet and stress that spreading products in a “single layer” ensures even cooking. Experts even recommend using an extra tray if needed.
Happy Foodie shared his culinary wisdom about preserved lemons: “You can usually buy preserved lemons in cans from the specialty section of the supermarket.
“Traditionally, Moroccan lemons are preserved in salt water and are beautifully soft and citrusy. Use them to flavor tagines and chicken or pork dishes.
“They will keep in a jar in the fridge for a month, or you can freeze them in a freezer-proof container for up to three months.”
