This recipe elevates the humble roast chook to a luxurious, succulent roast perfect for a slow Sunday winter feast. Whilst it does require a little bit of preparation MARINATING IN TENDERISING BUTTERMILK the day before, it’s mostly hands off & the results are well worth the extra effort. Buy the largest chicken you can find, because if you’re going to go to the effort of brining it, you really want leftovers. Bonus points if you strip all the meat off the carcass after your meal & pop the bones in a pot to simmer away overnight. You’ll wake up to a deeply golden, delicious & nutritious broth to be used as meal bases throughout the week.
Ingredients
For the chicken :
Large organic whole chicken (between 2.2 ~ 2.5 kgs is ideal)
1 litre fresh buttermilk.
1 organic brown onion, quartered.
4 cloves of organic garlic, peeled & smashed.
Handful of organic parsley.
2 organic bay leaves.
1 tablespoon black peppercorns.
3 tablespoons salt.
3 tablespoons sugar.
Approx 4 cups of water.
Olive oil, salt & pepper for seasoning.
For the creamy vegetable bake:
2 small or 1 large organic onion, thinly sliced.
Approx 750 grams organic potatoes, peeled & sliced into even ~ ish pieces.
Approx 750 grams organic pumpkin, seeds & skin removed, sliced into even ~ ish pieces.
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock.
1/2 cup pure cream.
1/3 cup dried breadcrumbs.
1/3 cup freshly grated organic parmesan.
Salt & pepper to taste.
MethodCombine 2 cups water with the onion, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt & sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer & cook until the salt & sugar have dissolved.
Pour the brine into a very large pot, stir in the fresh buttermilk & another 2 cups of water. Submerge the chicken in the brine, topping up with extra water to cover if needed. Refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Remove the chicken in brine from the fridge, carefully lifting it out & draining excess brine off. Place chicken on a roasting rack in a deep roasting pan & pat dry with paper towel before coating on olive oil, salt & pepper.
Roast chicken for approximately 2 hours, or until juices run clear when pierced. If your chicken is smaller, adjust cooking time accordingly, removing approximately 20 minutes of cooking time per 500 grams (for example a 2 kg chicken will have an approximate cooking time of 1 hour 40 minutes)
Once you’ve put your chicken in the oven, it’s time to prep your creamy vegetable bake.
Scatter the thinly sliced onions in the base of a glass or ceramic baking dish. Cover with the sliced potato & pumpkin, making sure they’re quite evenly distributed so they cook evenly. Pour over the stock & the cream, before topping with breadcrumbs, parmesan & sprinkling with a little salt & pepper. Cover with foil & place on the bottom rack of the oven. Cook for 30 minutes covered, then uncover & cook for a further 30 ~ 40 minutes or until golden brown & the potato feels soft when poked with a fork.
Serve with a simple salad of organic greens, herbs & a zesty vinaigrette 🤍
Image & recipe by Jessica Bull @jessicaelisebull
