Roast Chook with Preserved Lemon

Remove chook from fridge one hour before cooking.

Preheat oven to 200C.

Soften butter. Remove the pith from the Preserved Lemon and rinse in cold water. Place butter, tarragon and Preserved Lemons in the food processor and whiz to combine ingredients but don’t process too much or the butter will split.

Place chicken in the roasting pan and using your hands, lift the skin of the chicken from the flesh around the legs, and across both breasts, by sliding your fingers under the skin to separate it from the meat. Place the butter under the skin by pushing it in with your fingers.


Tuck wings under. Season the chook with salt flakes and freshly cracked pepper and rub into the skin with the Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Place the chicken on a lined baking tray and cook for 30 minutes. Reduce oven to 180C and cook for another 20 minutes.

Open the oven and pour Verjuice over the bird then close the oven and cook the chicken for a further 10 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven.

Check by putting a skewer through the thickest part of the thigh to make sure there are no pink juices, or if you have a thermometer – 68 degrees in this position will confirm it’s cooked.

Maggie Beer
Cooking Hampers

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