My Bitter Lemons

When I read this recipe for Slow Roasted Garlic and Lemon Chicken, I was particularly attracted to Nigella's description at the end of the introduction - you can eat them, skin, pith and all, their sour bitterness sweetened in the heat. The woman really has a way with words.

That was in reference to the lemons, obviously, which I found to be untrue only because I have burnt (and not caramelized) them. Tsk!

Any roasted chicken recipes of Nigella's is always very tempting not just because they come out fantastic everytime but because they are so simple.

She will tell you to just bung them in the oven and I would happily bung anything in the oven as long as something edible comes out of it.

Cremated lemons.

This recipe is too easy. Arrange the chicken pieces on a baking tray together with cut lemons, garlic cloves (no need to peel), thyme and drizzle with olive oil.

Nigella loves to use Marsala and since I did not have any in the house, I just left that out.

Cover tightly with foil and roast for 1.5 hours and then remove the foil and continue roasting at a higher temperature for another 30 minutes (to brown the skin).

What you get is tender moist chicken with very crispy skin. And better still, the roasted garlic which is soft and oh so tasty. But the lemons, well, my bad. It was very bitter, rendering the roasting juices unpalatable.

But the chicken was unaffected, they tasted very good. Since the chicken was only seasoned with salt and pepper, what you get is the fresh natural taste of chicken with a hint of thyme. 

So it is best if you can get really fresh chicken as the ones from the supermarket are sometimes iffy and work better with strong marinades.

Highly recommended not just for the taste but also for those days when you just want to bung some stuff in the oven. But please, don't burn the lemons >.<

Slow Roasted Garlic and Lemon Chicken

Recipe source : Adapted from Nigella Lawson

Ingredients :
- two drumsticks and 5 chicken thighs
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 2 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
- two small cloves of garlic, cloves separated but unpeeled
- salt and pepper

Method :
1. Arrange chicken pieces in a single layer on a lined baking tray.
2. Add garlic cloves, lemon and thyme.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cover the baking tray tightly with foil and roast at 160C for 1.5 hours.
5. Remove foil and continue to roast at 200C for about 30 minutes or until skin turns brown and crispy.

Note : 
- Nigella's recipe does no mention salt. 
- My lemons were burnt and turned out bitter. In future, I will just squeeze lemon juice over the chicken and not include the lemon in the roast.