Preserved lemon roast chicken with spiced potatoes
Ingredients
- 150g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tbs dried Aleppo chilli flakes (from Herbies.com.au)
- 1/4 preserved lemon, white pith removed, rind finely chopped
- 1 tbs chopped thyme leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1.8kg whole chicken
STUFFING
- 300g pork and fennel sausages
- 1/4 cup (40g) almonds, roasted, crushed
- 11/2 cups roughly torn fresh bread
- 11/2 tbs rosemary leaves, finely chopped
SPICED POTATOES
- 800g chat potatoes, scrubbed
- 1 eschalot, finely chopped
- 2 tbs sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (pimenton)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted, crushed
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Description
1.Preheat oven to 150°C. Combine the butter, Aleppo chilli, preserved lemon, thyme and garlic in a bowl and set aside.
2.For the stuffing, squeeze sausage meat from skins, discarding the skins. Combine meat and remaining ingredients in a bowl.
3.Pat chicken dry with paper towel. Carefully run your hand under the skin of the breast and thigh to loosen, being careful not to tear skin. Rub half of the butter mixture onto breast and thigh under skin, spreading to coat evenly. Rub remaining butter mixture all over chicken. Press the stuffing into the chicken cavity, ensuring it is tightly packed. Tie legs with kitchen string, then place chicken in a roasting pan and roast, basting with pan juices halfway, for 1 hour 20 minutes. Increase oven to 220°C. Baste chicken with pan juices and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until skin is dark golden and juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Rest, loosely covered with foil, for 5 minutes.
4.Meanwhile, for the spiced potatoes, place potatoes in a saucepan of cold salted water over medium heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 20-25 minutes until tender. Drain, then cool. Using your hands, crush potatoes slightly, then combine in a bowl with remaining ingredients. Season.
5.Serve chicken with spiced potatoes.