Greek Roast Chicken with Feta & Oregano

The perfect balance of sweet, sour, and salty with a touch of spice, blended together in a creamy feta base, this Mediterranean inspired Roast Chicken is sure to be an instant crowd pleaser.

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Brought to you by Dish

• 1 x Rangitikei whole free range chicken
• 80 grams soft feta cheese
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and roughly crushed
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• pinch of chilli flakes
• sea salt and ground pepper
• 3 small lemons, halved
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• finely grated zest 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• sea salt and ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C regular bake.

Rinse the chicken under cold water, then dry well, inside and out, with kitchen towels. Put the feta, fennel seeds, garlic, lemon juice and chilli in a small food processor and blitz until smooth.

Using your fingers, loosen the skin from the breast, taking care not to break the skin. Push the feta mixture under the skin, smoothing it into an even layer. Season the cavity and add two lemon halves.  Tie the legs with kitchen string and tuck the wings under.

Put the chicken into a roasting dish. Stir the honey, oil and lemon juice together and brush over the chicken. Season well with salt and pepper and add the remaining lemon halves to the dish. Cover with a piece of baking paper, then seal the dish with foil.

Roast for 1 hour. Remove the baking paper and foil and baste with the cooking juices. Cook uncovered for a further 20-30 minutes or until the juices run clear. Rest the chicken, lightly covered, for 10 minutes.

Dressing:

Stir all the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.

To serve:

Spoon over some of the dressing, serving the rest separately.