Olive and feta crusted chicken

Kalamata olives, feta cheese and extra virgin olive oil are quintessential Greek ingredients, adding a robust and luxurious edge to a roast chicken. Keep a little of the herbed feta aside to eat with bread while waiting for the chicken to cook.

• serves

  6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  1:15 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg chicken, butterflied, back bone removed
• salt and cracked black pepper
• green leaf salad, to serve

Herb feta

• 125 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• 300 g Greek feta, cubed
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 90 g pitted Kalamata olives 
• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp oregano leaves
• 2 tbsp thyme leaves   
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp dried thyme

The following recipe has been tested and edited by SBS Food and may differ slightly from the podcast.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and cracked black pepper.

To make the herb feta, using a food processor, process ingredients until smooth. Pour mixture over the chicken and turn to coat. Place the chicken in a baking dish skin-side up. Bake for 40–50 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked through.

Slice chicken into pieces and serve with salad.

© 2012 Maria Benardis

Photographs by Alan Benson

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.