Garlic Butter Roast Chicken with Giant Couscous & Tomatoes

Name: Garlic Butter Roast Chicken with Giant Couscous & Tomatoes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1.5 kg whole chicken; 200 g giant or pearl couscous; 650 g tomatoes; 75 g unsalted butter, softened; 75 g pitted black olives; 3 clove garlic cloves, crushed; 1 tbsp olive oil plus a drizzle; 10 g basil finely chopped, plus a few large whole leaves to serve; 1 lemon, cut into wedges; 1 chicken stock cube

A vibrant one-pan roast featuring succulent chicken infused with aromatic garlic butter, served over fluffy giant couscous and bursting roasted tomatoes. This Mediterranean-inspired meal is a complete, flavorful dinner that's surprisingly simple to prepare.

Servings4 Portions

Prep Time20 Mins

Cook Time90 Mins

Difficulty

Intermediate

Ingredients

whole chicken
1.5 kg
giant or pearl couscous
200 g
tomatoes
650 g
unsalted butter, softened
75 g
pitted black olives
75 g
garlic cloves, crushed
3 clove
olive oil plus a drizzle
1 tbsp
basil finely chopped, plus a few large whole leaves to serve
10 g
lemon, cut into wedges
1
chicken stock cube
1

Step-by-Step Instructions

Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan/gas 5). In a small bowl, combine the crushed garlic, softened butter, and finely chopped basil, mixing until smooth and well incorporated.

Carefully loosen the skin over the chicken breasts and spread the prepared garlic-basil butter underneath. Place the chicken in a large roasting tin, rub the skin with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Arrange the lemon wedges around the chicken and roast for 1 hour.

Remove the chicken and lemon wedges from the tin and set aside on a plate. Pour the giant couscous and olives into the roasting juices remaining in the tin. Crumble in the stock cube and add enough boiling water (approximately 300ml) to cover the couscous by about 1cm. Place the chicken back into the tin on top of the couscous mixture.

Toss the tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of seasoning. Spoon the tomatoes into the tin around the chicken, ensuring they cover the surface of the couscous to help it steam evenly. If the tin is too crowded, roast any extra tomatoes in a separate small dish.