If you’re looking for a dinner that feels effortlessly elevated, this pesto-baked chicken with olives and goat’s cheese is exactly that. Juicy chicken is coated in fragrant basil pesto, baked with briny olives and bright lemon, then finished with creamy goat’s cheese for a rich, savoury finish. It’s simple to prepare, but delivers the kind of flavour that makes it feel a little more special.
Pesto-baked chicken with olives and goat’s cheese
Ingredients
- 4 each chicken drumsticks and thighs
- 125g basil pesto
- 6 shallots, peeled and halved
- juice of 1 lemon + extra zest to serve
- 100g Kalamata olives
- 100g Queen olives
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme + extra, to garnish
- ½ fresh red chilli, chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 100g Chevin goat’s milk cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place the chicken pieces in an ovenproof dish. Coat the chicken with the basil pesto. Add the shallots, lemon juice, olives, thyme and chilli.
Drizzle the olive oil over and season to taste. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes.
Remove from oven and crumble the goat’s cheese on top. Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes. Serve garnished with fresh thyme sprigs and lemon zest.
Also See: Asian-style chicken and exotic mushrooms with rice
Recipe and styling by Sarah Dall
Photograph by Myburgh du Plessis
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
