Pearl Chicken with Sweet Lemon Zest and Olive Oil Marinade

Ingredients

• 1 pearl chicken (ca. 1,2 kg)
• 1 lemon (juice)
• olive oil
• a handful of thyme
• pepper (ground)
• 1 Carrot
• 1 stalk Celery
• 1 onion
• 1 Zucchini
• 2 tbsp candied lemon zest
• Salt
• pepper (ground)
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 400 ml Poultry broth

Instructions

1. 1.

   Rinse the pearl chicken, pat dry and quarter. Mix lemon juice with 4-5 tbsp olive oil and rub onto the chicken. Add a few thyme sprigs, pepper, cover and marinate in the fridge for about 2 hours.

2. 2.

   Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) fan‑forced or conventional heat.

3. 3.

   Wash, peel if desired, and dice the carrot, celery, onion, and zucchini into small cubes. Dice the candied lemon zest as well.

4. 4.

   Remove the chicken from the marinade and sear in a roasting tin with a little oil until browned all around. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Sauté the vegetables in the pan drippings, deglaze with wine, add remaining thyme and pour in some broth. Place the chicken quarters skin side up on top and roast for about 30 minutes, adding more broth as needed and basting occasionally. During the last 10 minutes, add the lemon zest to the tin.

5. 5.

   Finish by stirring a splash of the olive oil marinade into the sauce, season with salt and pepper, and serve hot.