Lemon & Thyme Roasted Chicken with Green Polenta

Prepare Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Wash the fresh produce. De stem silverbeet and roughly chop. Zest lemon to remove the rind, then cut in half. Peel and mince garlic and remove thyme leaves, discarding stems. In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, ½ the garlic, thyme leaves, juice of ½ the lemon and 1 Tbs olive oil.

Roast Chicken:

Pat dry chicken with paper towel. Place chicken in an oven proof dish or lined tray and coat well with lemon/herb mix. Season with salt and pepper and roast until browned and cooked through, about 18 minutes.

Blanche & Puree Greens:

In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to boil. Once water is boiling, add silverbeet and blanche until wilted and bright green. Drain and rinse under cold water. Blitz in a food processor or with a stick mixer with remaining minced garlic until smooth. Set aside.

Make Polenta:

In a pot, bring stock and ½ cup of water to the boil. Reduce heat down low and add polenta in a steady stream, stirring regularly. Keep it low enough that the polenta won’t puff, pop, and spit as it cooks. Stir it every few minutes for a total of about 15 minutes or until done to your liking. After a while, the polenta will start to thicken, pulling away from the side of the pot slightly as you stir. If any lumps form at all, grab a stiff whisk and give the polenta a good beating. All lumps should disappear. Stir in mascarpone and parmesan reserving some for garnish. Season with salt and pepper.

You Plate It:

Add silverbeet puree to polenta and fold through gently. Slice chicken as desired, divide polenta between plates and top with the roast chicken. Garnish with reserved parmesan. Enjoy!