Roast lemon and Ginger Chicken recipe for Easter lunch

Yay it’s Easter this weekend, and we thought we would ring the changes at Mod Fam Food and go for Spring Chicken rather than the traditional lamb, combined with Kale Rosti potatoes and a fresh Spring salad.

Why not make Mod Fam Food Passion fruit cheesecakes in individual glasses to make your Easter Sunday Lunch delicious and hassle free, allowing a little space left to savour your chocolate eggs at the end of your lunch!! 

Roast lemon and Ginger Chicken recipe

This recipe is perfect to serve at a busy lunch, as all the preparation is done ahead of time, leaving you to simply slice the whole of the chicken and serve, without the inconvenience of carving around bones. Ask your butcher to bone and butterfly a large chicken, leaving the skin on.

You will need…

1 large boned and butterflied chicken (skin on)

Marinade:

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 heaped tbsp lemon thyme

1 tbsp freshly grated root ginger

Juice of 1 lemons

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp toasted pine kernels

Juice of 1 lemon

3 sprigs lemon thyme

Serves 4

Here’s what to do…

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together, cover the chicken and leave to marinade for at least an hour.
2. Place the marinated chicken on a baking tray skin side up and roast for 45 minutes at 180C.
3. Place the chicken onto a chopping board. Leave to rest for 5 minutes and then slice on the diagonal and serve with extra lemon juice, a little of the cooking juice, a sprinkling of lemon thyme and toasted pine kernels.

 

Tips…

Chicken can be marinated up to a day ahead.

For larger gatherings, try a selection of marinades:

3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp honey and 1 tsp wholegrain mustard or

3 tbsp pesto, 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 handful of shredded basil leaves.

Kale Rosti Potatoes

A great alternative to roast potatoes, that can be prepared ahead of time and warmed when required. As with roast potatoes, you get the crispiness around the edges combined with the soft, floury centre.

You will need…

5 large potatoes, about 1 kg (Maris Piper)

150g kale, with stems removed

1 egg, beaten lightly

1 heaped tbsp plain flour

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

Serves 4

Here’s what to do… 

1. Peel the potatoes and grate coarsely, squeezing out any excess moisture.
2. Cook the kale with a few tsp water in a microwave in a covered bowl for 3 minutes to soften.
3. Combine the potato in a large bowl with the egg, flour, seasoning and kale. Mix well.
4. Divide the mixture into flattened rounds, heat a little of the oil and cook in batches until slightly browned.
5. Place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, and cook in the oven at 180C for about 15 minutes until cooked through and golden.

Tips…

If preparing ahead of time, simply reheat in the oven at 160C for 15 minutes or until hot, ensuring you cover with foil to avoid further browning.

Try adding a tbsp of creamed horseradish sauce to the mixture for an alternative flavour.

Or go wild and reduce the number of potatoes and substitute with grated beetroot, carrot or parsnip.

Spring Salad

A fresh and vibrant green salad with crunch is the perfect accompaniment to the chicken and rosti’s. Can also be served alone as a light lunch.

 

You will need…

250g fine asparagus sliced widthways at an angle into 2 pieces

250g broad beans fresh if you can or frozen

150g French beans, trimmed

50g baby spinach leaves

3 spring onions, finely chopped

1 red chilli, finely diced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

½ tsp sesame oil

Salt and pepper

Serves 4

Here’s what to do… 

1. Add the asparagus to a pan of boiling water for 3 minutes, remove and place in a bowl of iced water. Repeat with the French beans for 5 minutes. Drain both.
2. Add the broad beans to the boiling water for 2 minutes, chill in the iced water, drain and remove any loose skins.
3. Place all the vegetables in a mixing bowl with the spinach leaves. Add all the remaining ingredients, and mix carefully. Serve straight away.

Tips…

Keep an eye on the vegetables as they are blanching in the boiling water. Avoid overcooking, as you want crisp vegetables full of colour. The colour will be preserved by immersing in the iced water.

Try using rocket instead of the baby spinach, or 1 tbsp chopped walnuts and ½ tsp walnut oil instead of the sesame seeds and oil.

Add a little goats cheese to the salad, and crusty bread to have as a stand alone salad.

Enjoy your Easter Lunch with Mod Fam Food. Hope its fun and relaxing, and you also get to indulge a little!! We’ll be back next week with more tasty but simple recipes.