Tray-Baked Citrus Chicken with Lentils & Arugula (Rocket)

Preheat the oven to 180C (I put it at 200C since I was using a whole chicken, breasts included).

Squeeze the juice from some of the lemon and orange quarters into a small bowl. Add stock, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper and mix well.

Cut each piece of citrus in half again and toss into a large roasting pan. Arrange the chicken in the pan (I put my butterflied chook on top of all the oranges & lemons), tucking the orange and lemon and rosemary sprigs in amongst the chicken pieces. Pour over the stock mixture, cover the pan with foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes (at least 45 minutes for a whole chicken).

Remove the foil, baste the chicken with the juices, turn the heat up to 200C and cook for a further 20 minutes to allow the chicken to brown (I gave it about 45 minutes, then checked on it and, given that I’m a serial under-cooker, gave it another 15 minutes while I poured myself a glass of wine).

When the chicken is cooked and browned, gently squeeze the juice from the oranges and lemons. Carefully ladle or pour the juices from the pan into a medium saucepan; return the chicken to the oven and keep warm.

Allow the chicken juices to boil for a few minutes, then add the lentils and another sprig of rosemary to the saucepan.

Serve the lentils, chicken pieces and rocket on plates. Drizzle olive oil and some freshly squeezed lemon juice over the salad leaves (I used lemon-infused olive oil). Enjoy.