Zesty Za'atar Roast Chicken

Time

Serves

Ingredients

• Field & Flower 1.75kg Whole Chicken
• 1 lemon (halved with one half cut into slices)
• 2 onions, roughly chopped into large pieces
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 250g Greek yogurt
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 garlic gloves, crushed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted
• 2 tbsp sumac (optional)
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin

Instructions

1. Make your marinade by stirring together the yogurt, lemon zest and juice, crushed garlic and 2 tbsp olive oil.
2. Season your chicken using sea salt and black pepper and coat it in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
3. Once the chicken has finished marinating, pre-heat your oven to 200°C.
4. If you're making your own za'atar, mix together all the dried herbs and sesame seeds in a bowl. If you're not making your own use 9 tbsp of pre-bought za'atar.
5. Remove your chicken from the marinating dish and remove any excess yogurt, leaving a nice even coating.
6. Coat your chicken all over with the za'atar, using the yogurt coating to stick it on evenly. Finish with a final drizzle of olive oil and pat everything down gently.
7. Put the roughly chopped onions and sliced lemon in a roasting dish and place the chicken on top. Put half a lemon and a few sprigs of thyme in the cavity of the bird and add a dash of water to the dish. Place in the centre of the oven and roast for 25 minutes.
8. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C, adding more water to the pan if it looks a bit dry and turning over the lemon and onion. Roast for an additional 55-65 minutes until the juices run clear from the bird and the internal temperature reaches 75°C.
9. Leave to rest for up to 15 minutes before carving.