Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh oregano, finely chopped
1Tbsp.
olive oil
1 medium chicken, about 1.6 kg (3½lb)
1
lemon, halved
300g
(11oz) cherry tomatoes
150g
(5oz) couscous
Large handful watercress
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 190°C (170 °C fan) mark 5. In a small bowl, stir together half each of the feta, olives, oregano and olive oil with plenty of black pepper. Set aside.
Step 2
Lift up the neck flap of the chicken and use your fingers to ease the skin gently away from the breast meat - work all the way down the sides of the breasts and towards the legs. Push the feta mixture between the skin and meat to cover the whole breast area. Pull the neck flap down and secure with a skewer or cocktail sticks. Put a lemon half in the cavity of the chicken.
Step 3
Put the chicken into a medium-large roasting tin and drizzle over the remaining oil. Season and roast for 1hr 15min. Add tomatoes to the tin, shake to coat in oil and return to oven for a further 15min or until the chicken is cooked through and tomatoes have burst.
Step 4
Carefully transfer the chicken to a board and put tomatoes into a small serving bowl. Cover both with foil. Spoon off as much fat as possible from the roasting tin, leaving behind the darker juices. Add the couscous to the roasting tin and stir to coat. Squeeze in the juice from the remaining lemon half, then pour in just enough boiling water to cover the couscous. Cover tin well with clingfilm and leave to cook for 10min.
Step 5
Fluff up the couscous with a fork and stir through the watercress and the remaining feta, olives and oregano. Check the seasoning.
Step 6
Allow the chicken to rest for at least 25min before serving with the couscous and tomatoes.
A crack team of highly skilled food content producers, the GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurstis our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time.
