Baked Chicken with Potatoes and Lemon (Greek Kotopoulo Lemonato)

There is nothing better than a perfectly cooked roast for a large family dinner. And this traditional Greek lemon chicken recipe never fails to impress. Kotopoulo Lemonato is a traditional Greek recipe for oven roasted chicken which is simple to prepare and the cooking does the work for you. Perfectly moist and succulent roast chicken combined with fluffy potatoes, garnished with fresh herbs and baked in a delicious lemony flavoured sauce to form an amazing full of Mediterranean flavours hearty dish. The main drawback is that the potatoes are not that crispy as when baked on their own. So it’s up to you to decide if you want to sacrifice a little crispiness for extra flavour. Don’t forget to top with some salty feta cheese, crumbled for extra flavour.

1 (2½ lb) chicken, cut into 8 portions (1.13 kg)
1 clove garlic
3 medium lemons, freshly juiced
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
4-5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. peppercorns
1 tsp. dry oregano
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
4 oz feta cheese, cut into small cubes (100 g)
35 oz potatoes, cut into wedges (1 kg)

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

To prepare this Greek lemon chicken recipe, divide the chicken into 8 portions and wash thoroughly. Peel the garlic and rub on the chicken. Place on a large baking tray and season well with sea salt and pepper.

Cut the potatoes into wedges and place them between the chicken. Pour in some water, enough to cover half the chicken and add the lemon juice, the white wine vinegar, the olive oil, the chopped garlic and the peppercorns. Season with sea salt and pepper and add a good pinch oregano. Sprinkle the potatoes with 1 tsp. semolina for crispier results.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for 60-75 minutes in total. 50 minutes into the bake remove the aluminum foil and top the chicken with some feta cheese. Bake for another 15-20 minutes (the remaining time), until your Greek lemon chicken is nicely coloured and crispy on the outside.

This Greek lemon chicken is ideally served with a refreshing Greek feta salad and lots of sourdough bread aside to dig into all the delicious sauce.

Makes 4 servings.