Olive, feta and apricot chicken

The sweet and salty combination of apricots with feta and olives works wonders as a stuffing for chicken.

Olive, feta and apricot chicken Credit: One World Kitchen

• serves

  6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 12 boneless chicken thighs, skin on - around 1 kg worth

Marinade

• 1 cup (250 ml) olive oil
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) lemon juice
• ¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

Stuffing

• 2 tbsp (40 ml) olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 12 dried apricots, chopped
• ⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• ½ cup pitted and roughly chopped green olives
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ½ cup chicken stock

To serve

• Olive oil
• Lemon
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• Salt
• Pepper

Marinating time: 4-5 hours

Instructions

1. Whisk together marinade ingredients, then pour over chicken thighs in bowl. Toss to coat pieces. Leave to marinate for a few hours. 
2. Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F). 
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent. 
4. In a bowl, combine cooked onions, feta cheese, apricots, parsley, green olives and breadcrumbs. Add chicken broth and 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix together. Set aside.
5. Drain marinade from chicken thighs. 
6. Place chicken thighs on flat surface, skin-side down. Put some filling on the top of each chicken thigh, then fold one half over to secure filling. If desired, insert a toothpick through each side of the thigh. Place chicken thighs in a baking dish.
7. Rub lemon half over each thigh, then sprinkle each thigh with salt, pepper and dried oregano. Drizzle thighs with olive oil. 
8. Roast for 35 minutes, or until golden brown. 
9. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes, then remove toothpicks.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.