Butterflied Saltbush & Rosemary Chook with Roast Veg Salad
This salty, herby native Australian green adds wonderful flavour to meat dishes; call it the Aussie bay leaf, if you will. Using the butterfly chicken method reduces your cooking time for this tasty roast dish. Paired with a roasted veg salad for a comforting but light roast dinner.
Serves 4
Effort: Moderate
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 1 hour
Gluten Free
Ingredients
¼ cup dried salt bush & rosemary - Gilgooma Goods
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice + 1 lemon quartered for serving
1/3 cup olive oil
1whole chicken (about 1.8kg), butterflied - see hints & tips to learn how to butterfly your chicken.
1 punnet cherry tomato
1 bunch broccolini
1 large zucchini, quartered lengthways & diced
1 tsp garlic powder
120g spinach
100g creamy feta
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 220c/ 200c fan. Combine in a bowl the saltbush, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and the oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Butterfly the chicken - see notes
Rub the marinade all over the chicken on both sides, getting into all the hidden joints and under the skin. Marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes, or overnight.
Bring the chicken to room temperature for 20 minutes. Place in a baking dish & season with a little salt. Place in the centre of the preheated oven & roast for 1 hour or until the juices run clear (check with a thermometer - see hints & tips). Turn the tray once half way through.
Prepare the veggies by laying the broccolini in a even layer on a baking tray and scatter the diced zucchini & cherry tomato’s in between. Drizzle with olive oil and season with a little garlic powder & salt. Bake in the oven for 30 mins along side the chicken.
Remove the chicken and veggies from the oven. Let the chicken stand for 10 mins.
While the chicken is resting place the spinach in a bowl & toss the veggies through - the spinach will wilt slightly. Crumble the creamy feta over the top.
Serve sliced chicken alongside the roasted veg salad & lemon wedges.
Hints & tips
Chicken - The recipe suggests to butterfly the chicken but it can be roasted as normal. Follow the first few steps of marinating then roast 45 minutes per kg, plus an extra 20 minutes to finish. If you want to, you can baste your roast chicken once or twice during cooking to help keep it moist.
Butterflied chicken - learn here
Cayenne pepper - The recipe calls for 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper - reduce to 1/4 tsp for a milder flavour. Equally change it to 1 tsp if you like more heat.
To know if the chicken is done - If the juices run clear, that's done and the meat should be firm not jiggly. Use a thermometer if you want - Check in the thickest part of the thigh which should read somewhere between 75c - 80c.
Portion size - This recipe will serve 4 with left overs. It will serve up to 6 and more if you use a bigger chicken - adjust the cooking time for bigger chickens, 10 mins more per 200g.
Storage - The chicken will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store leftover veg salad in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Not suitable for freezing.
