Whenever in doubt, add honey. I know it sounds like the easy way out, but it’s SO delicious. I must admit, I’m not a huge fan of sweet meals. This chicken however, won me over. The happy “marriage” of mustard and honey, combined here with the sourness of the lemon and the intense aroma of rosemary, elevate this humble roasted chicken to another level. It’s not at all sweet, just intensely flavoured and incredibly tasty. Did I mention easy? Marinate it in the same pan you intend to bake it, keep it covered in the fridge, and throw it in the oven one hour before dinnertime. Serve it with mashed potatoes or rice to soak up all those lovely juices. Yum!

Ingredients

• One whole chicken, cut in about 10-12 pieces
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 rosemary sprigs

For the marinade

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 Tbs honey
• 2 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbs fresh ginger, finely chopped

For the glaze

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard

Method

Put chicken in a baking pan. Season on all sides with salt and pepper. Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade. Pour over the chicken and turn pieces to coat. Make sure chicken ends up with skin side up. Throw in the rosemary sprigs. Cover baking pan with foil and put chicken in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours or over night.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 200 C. Remove foil from the baking pan and bake chicken for 40 minutes. Mix together the honey and dijon mustard. Take chicken out of the oven and drizzle with the honey-mustard glaze. Bake for 10 minutes longer. Take chicken out, baste with the juices and return to the oven 5-10 minutes more, until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes, drizzled with those delicious pan juices.