Lemon & Thyme Roasted Chicken with Green Polenta & Simple Side Salad

Prepare Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Wash the fresh produce. De stem silverbeet and roughly chop. Zest lemon, 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 garlic until smooth. Set aside.

Make Polenta:

In a pot, combine stock concentrate with 1½ cups of water and bring 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:

Combine lettuce and cherry tomatoes in a bowl and dress with a little olive oil (extra virgin if you have it), salt and pepper. (NOTE: We had a suggestion from a customer to add in some more greens on this recipe, so we listened. That's why you don't see any salad in the pic ;) ). 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!