Chicken on Sourdough Croutons with Herb and Caper Sauce

, from Issue #54. September, 2015
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
Chicken on Sourdough Croutons with Herb and Caper Sauce

Roasting the chicken on the garlic-infused bread gives you a big, gorgeous, crispy-edged crouton that is soft in the centre and rich with all the roasting juices.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

4 single chicken breasts, skin on
4 slices lemon
4 x 1½ cm thick slices sourdough bread, cut from a large loaf
1 clove garlic, peeled

Herb sauce
½ cup packed flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup packed mint leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed
 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
pinch chilli flakes
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon dried oregano
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

METHOD

Preheat the oven 180°C.

Herb sauce: Place all the ingredients in a food processor, season and process until smooth and bright green. Tip into a bowl.

Chicken: Put the chicken in a shallow dish and spoon over 2 tablespoons of the herb sauce, reserving the rest for serving. Turn the chicken in the sauce then season both sides of each breast.

Rub both sides of each of the slices of bread with the garlic clove then place on a lipped baking tray. Top each ‘crouton’ with a chicken breast, skin side up. Rub the lemon slices through the dish the chicken was in then place on top of the chicken. Roast for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken. Serve the remaining herb sauce separately and accompany with a salad of thinly shaved pear, fennel and rocket with pistachios.