Inspired by Che, I thought I would do a post about how to cook the perfect roast chicken. This meal is neither frugal, nor heart healthy. Although, a decent sized bird and you’ll get leftovers for a couple of days.
These photos were taken on my mobile phone, and while I was in the act of cooking, so I apologise if they are a bit blurry/crap.
Ok, here goes. Stuffing.
Start with 4 rashers of bacon. Whatever kind you like, I use whatever’s on special. Cut it up into smallish pieces (use scissors, it’s the easiest way), and bung it in a frypan.
Fry that off for a few minutes, then add a chopped onion.
Now, here come the not so frugal part. Take about 50 grams of macadamia nuts. Chop them up. Chuck them in the frypan, and fry them off for about a minute. Add about 1/4 of a cup of brandy (or white wine, or orange juice), and fry that off for about another 30 seconds.
Right, so what you have here is a yummy gloopy mess. Now, take some breadcrumbs, freah if you have them, but I didn’t. About 2 and a half cups in a bowl, and add the bacon mixture. Add the rind of an orange.
I also juice the orange, and add the juice. You don’t have to, but I like my stuffing kind of moist, and without it, i’ve found it quite dry.
Add a couple of teaspoons of herbs, whatever you like. I usually use pasley, sage and thyme, but anything will do. Even the ubiquitous mixed herbs.
Now, set that aside to cool.
Here’s where it gets messy, and a little bit gross.
Take your (organic, free range, corn fed naturally) chicken, and about 3 tablespoons of butter, mixed with 3 decent sized chopped cloves of garlic.
With your finger, loosen the skin away from the breast. It’s gross, I know, but it is worth it.
Once you’ve loosened it, push the garlic butter under the skin (do you see what I meant about heart healthy now?), as far to the back as you can get it without breaking the skin. The softer your butter is the better for this. Use all the butter, except about a teaspoon. Stuff the chicken, and press the leftover butter into the front.
Ok, here’s the best bit. Bung it in the oven at around 180 degrees. Wait ten minutes. Open the oven door. Swoon. Garlic, bacon and onion frying in butter. Close the door. Peel your vegetables. Do the dishes. Set the table. After about an hour, chuck in the vegetables. I used potato, kumara, parsnnip, pumpkin. And steamed carrots and brocolli.
Cook your chicken for however long you think is right. Somewhere between 90 minutes and two hours. Take it out of the oven, and cover it with tin foil, and leave it for around 10 minutes to rest. But first, take a photo of the delicious, crispy stuffing poking out of the golden chicken.
Take your vegetables out of the roasting dish, and drain off the fat, saving about a teaspoon. Spend a delightful 5 minutes picking all of the delicious crispy bits off the bottom.
Put the pan on a medium heat on the stove, and add about a teaspoon of salt. Stir it so it picks up all the goodness on the bottom, and doesn’t burn.
Mmmm…sorry, where was I? Into this, pour a big tablespoon of flour, mixed with water, and stir it until combined, then leave it to simmer (and darken).
And you are pretty much done. Serve…
…And enjoy. (no, that’s not intentionally soft-focus, it’s the steam coming off the food.)
