Pestoroastchicken Recipes

ROAST CHICKEN AND PESTO

Steps:

• This is a fantastic way to eat a roast chicken - whether it's hot or cold.
• Preheat your oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6, then stuff your chicken with the ½ garlic bulb, one of the lemons and the thyme. Rub the outside with lots of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then rub with olive oil and roast for 1½ hours. To see if it's properly cooked, pierce a thigh with the tip of a knife and check that the juices run clear. If they don't, continue cooking and check again.
• Pound the remaining garlic with a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar. Scrape the paste into a food processor and whiz with the basil and pine nuts. Pour the mix into a bowl and stir in a few good lugs of olive oil. Add the Parmesan and season with salt, pepper and the juice of the other lemon. If the pesto looks stiff, moisten it with olive oil.
• Serve the chicken in portions - hot or cold - on a big plate with the pesto in a bowl next to it. Better still, tear off bits of chicken and dip in a bowl of pesto before eating - fantastic! Great with rocket and roasted lemon halves, if you like.

BAKED PESTO CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas mark 4. Line a baking dish with parchment or foil.
• Take the chicken breasts and smother them in the pesto on all sides. Use 4 to 8 spoonfuls of pesto, depending on your taste. Also season the chicken with salt and pepper if desired.
• Place the chicken breasts in the baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. At 30 minutes, quickly take the chicken breasts out of the oven and sprinkle with half the mozzarella, then with chopped tomato, followed by fresh chopped herbs then the remainder of the Mozzarella.
• Place the chicken back in the oven and cook a further 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is done and no longer pink, and the cheese is melted.

PESTO CHICKEN

Steps:

• For pesto, combine the first six ingredients in a blender; cover and process until blended. Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness; sprinkle with salt and pepper. , Spread each with 2 tablespoons pesto to within 1/2 in. of the edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; secure with a toothpick or small metal skewer., Place chicken in a greased 11x7-in. baking dish; brush with butter. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 30-35 minutes or meat is no longer pink. Remove toothpicks or skewers. Serve warm as a main course., For an appetizer, cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate until chilled. Cut cold chicken into 1/2-in. slices.

PESTO ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pre Heat oven to moderate. Loosen skin on chicken breast by sliding your fingers between the skin and the flesh. Rub about 11/2 tablespoons of Pesto under the skin over the breast.
• Rub the remaining 11/2 tablespoons of pesto over the outside of chicken, breast, legs and wings.
• Place halved onions in a roasting pan drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over and place chicken on top.
• Roast, uncovered in moderate oven for 30 Minutes.
• Add garlic and zucchini to roasting pan, drizzle with a little extra oil and return to the oven for about 1 hour or until chicken is coked through.
• If using cherry tomatoes add to roasting pan about 20 min's before the end of cooking time.
• Serve with fresh corn on the cob and roasted potatoes.

ITALIAN PESTO ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cut off the top of the head of garlic to expose the cloves, trimming about 1/4 inch off of the top of each clove. You may need to trim individual cloves along the sides of the head. Brush the cut cloves with a small amount of olive oil and nestle the head into a piece of aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cloves begin to soften, about 20 minutes. Remove garlic from the oven and let cool slightly. Leave oven on. Press on the bottom of each clove to push softened cloves out of their peels and into a small bowl.
• Process basil in the bowl of a food processor until minced. Add roasted garlic and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; pulse a couple of times to mix together. Pour olive oil in slowly, with the processor running, until pesto is smooth and has achieved your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
• Slide your fingers under the skin of the chicken to loosen it. Rub pesto generously underneath the skin and inside the cavity of the chicken. Place chicken on a rack inside a baking pan.
• Place chicken in the oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Increase heat to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) and cook until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 10 to 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH PESTO AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Stir pesto and garlic in medium bowl to blend. Transfer 1 tablespoon pesto mixture to small bowl and reserve for sauce.
• Spread 1/4 cup pesto mixture over outside and 1 tablespoon inside main cavity of chicken. Place potatoes in large roasting pan and toss with remaining pesto mixture. Push potatoes to sides of pan; place chicken in center. Sprinkle chicken and potatoes with salt and pepper. Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken thigh registers 180°F and potatoes are brown and tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
• Transfer chicken and potatoes to platter. Add broth and reserved 1 tablespoon pesto to roasting pan. Place pan over heat; bring broth to boil, scraping up browned bits. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Serve chicken and potatoes with sauce.