Roast Chicken with Green Herb Sauce

. April, 2016
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Roast Chicken with Green Herb Sauce

This fabulous sharp, full-flavoured herb sauce gets brushed over the hot chicken, where it mingles with the resting juices to make a delicious pan sauce. 

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

1 Rangitikei corn-fed free range butterflied chicken - Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon
knob of butter
sea salt and ground pepper
2 lemons, quartered

Green herb sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup each tightly packed mint and parsley leaves
1 tablespoon capers
2 cloves garlic, crushed
sea salt and ground pepper


Shaved Fennel and Mozzarella Salad
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 cups finely shaved white cabbage
1 fennel bulb, finely shaved, reserve the fronds for garnish
250 grams fresh mozzarella in whey, drained
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes, or more to taste
sea salt and ground pepper

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.

Green herb sauce: Whisk the oil, vinegar and mustard in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. 

Place the herbs, capers and garlic on a chopping board and chop everything together to form a coarse chunky paste. Add to the bowl and combine.

Chicken: Season the flesh side of the chicken and place skin-side up on a lined baking tray. Dot with butter and season with salt and pepper. Put the lemon wedges around the chicken and roast for 40 minutes, basting often with the cooking juices. Remove from the oven and brush 2 tablespoons of the herb sauce over the skin of the hot chicken. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

To serve: Joint the chicken and place on a platter along with the roasted lemon quarters. Spoon over the resting juices and serve with the following salad and crusty bread, if desired.


Salad: Whisk the oil and vinegar in a large bowl and season. Add the cabbage and fennel and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the ripped mozzarella, chilli flakes and reserved fennel fronds. 

Cook’s tip: A mandoline is perfect for shaving or julienning vegetables to get wafer thin slices.