Crushed courgettes and roasted chicken

In a couple of weeks, courgettes’s season will be almost over.  But, for the time being, we still can find them at the supermarket screaming to be cooked with loads flavors to soak up. For example –  garlic, thyme and mint, as in this crushed courgettes dish Yotam Ottolenghi created for The New Vegetarian.

To go with the courgettes, nothing better than a roasted chicken. For this one, I used a very basic recipe I saw on Masterchef Australia (with a couple of tweaks).

Crushed courgettes

Ingredients 

• 3 large courgettes (750g), cut in half lengthways and then into 6cm pieces
• 1 whole garlic bulb, separated into unpeeled cloves
• 1 tsp dried mint
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1½ tsp coarse sea salt
• Black pepper
• 70ml olive oil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 1½ tbsp chopped dill
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

 Method

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Put the courgettes and garlic cloves in a bowl and add the dried mint, thyme, salt, some black pepper and the oil. Mix everything together and transfer to a medium baking dish – make sure the courgette pieces overlap a little, cut side up, and form a single layer. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the courgettes have softened and taken on some colour.

Transfer everything to a colander, pressing the courgettes so they start to release some of their liquid, and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes.

Transfer the contents of the colander to a mixing bowl, and squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins (discard the skins). Mash everything together with a fork (if the courgettes’ skin is on the tough side, you may have to chop them with a knife). Stir in the remaining ingredients and set aside for an hour before serving.

Roasted chicken 

Ingredients 

• 1 chicken, broken down into legs & breasts still on the bone
• 8 sprigs of rosemary
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven at 220oC

Cover the  bottom of a roasting tray with olive oil.  Put the chicken into the tray skin, with the side up in one evenly spread layer.

Pat the chicken skin with a paper towel until it is dry.  Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper  and drizzle with olive oil. Put the rosemary on top of the chicken pieces.

Put the tray into the oven, and  cook the chicken for about 35min.