Roast chicken with sherry & green olives
- ¼ cup (35g) raisins
- ¼ cup (60ml) dry spanish sherry
- 1 medium bulb garlic, halved lengthways
- 1 medium (350g) leek, trimmed, sliced thinly
- 3 medium (360g) carrots, sliced
- 300g (9½oz) large green olives
- 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
- 80g (2½oz) butter, softened
- 6 (1.5kg) chicken supremes (see tip)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup (80g) blanched almonds, toasted, chopped coarsely
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- ½ cup (75g) pomegranate seeds
1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
2. Place the raisins and sherry in a small bowl; stand for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, place the garlic, leek, carrot and olives in the base of a large roasting pan. Pour over the stock; cover with foil. Roast for 20 minutes.
4. Drain the soaking juices into a jug; reserve. Place the raisins and butter in a small food processor; season. Process until the raisins and butter are well combined.
5. Make a little pocket under the skin of each of the chicken pieces and press the flavoured butter into the pockets.
6. Remove the vegetables from the oven; discard foil and nestle the chicken, skin-side up, into the vegetables. Pour over the reserved sherry, drizzle with oil and season the chicken skin. Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes.
7. Serve the chicken and vegetables scattered with the almonds, parsley and pomegranate seeds.
Tip- Chicken supremes are breast fillets with the skin and the first section of wing bone attached. You will need to order them from a butcher or specialty poultry store. You can use chicken marylands, if you prefer.
