Flat Roast Chook with Salsa Verde
"Finger licking good" is a crass but perfectly coined term, whether you're fancy or not. Sticky, stocky spuds and crispy-skinned chicken, drizzled with the heavens of all bossy sauces - herb slurry, herb sluz, salsa verde, call it what you like. PSA: if you do this right, doing two chickens at once means you've got dinner half done for tomorrow too.
Serves: 4-6, with leftovers for lunch
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 chickens, 1.2-1.4kg each, flattened (see how-to video for the flattening technique)
600g potatoes, skin on, cut into 1cm thick wedges
3 tbsp olive oil
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp sea salt flakes
250ml chicken broth
200g baby green beans (no need to remove the tails unless you're being especially fancy)
For the salsa verde
1/4 cup rosemary
1/2 bunch chives
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 tsp white wine vinegar
METHOD
To flatten a chicken, flip it onto a board breast-side down and use sharp kitchen scissors to snip out the spine. Turn it back over skin-side up and press down on the breastplate to crack the wishbone.
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan-forced.
On a large baking tray, place the potatoes and cover with the oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and chicken broth. Toss well to coat.
Push the potatoes to the outer edges of the tray and nestle the two chickens in the middle, skin-side up. Position them so the breasts meet in the centre - this slower-cooking part of the tray suits the breast, which otherwise cooks fast and can dry out.
Sprinkle everything liberally with the sea salt and roast for 45 minutes, turning the tray halfway through to keep the cooking even.
To make the salsa verde, place the rosemary, chives, parsley, garlic, Dijon mustard and olive oil into a small food processor or blender and blend on high for 1 minute, until smooth. The extended blending time gently heats the leaves, keeping the sauce a vivid green. Season well with salt and set aside until ready to serve.
Once the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes have started to crisp at the edges, remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the beans in a large bowl and pour over boiling water from the kettle. Drain after a minute, once bright green. Toss in oil, salt and pepper, or scatter them straight onto the roasting tray and toss through the pan juices.
Use scissors to snip the chicken into portions, then serve the whole tray with tongs and the salsa verde at the ready for drizzling.
HINTS
Roasting two chickens at once for barely more effort than one means tomorrow's lunch is already sorted - shred the second bird straight into salads, sandwiches or a quick soup.
Positioning the breasts to meet in the centre of the tray, where the heat is gentler, is the trick to avoiding dry, overcooked chicken breast while the legs catch up.
Blending the salsa verde on high for the full minute rather than a quick pulse is what keeps it bright green instead of dull and oxidised.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 4-6 - guide only):
Energy: 22000 kJ (5260 cal)
Protein: 380 g
Fat: 340 g
Saturated fat: 75 g
Carbohydrate: 120 g
Sugars: 8 g
Sodium: 5400 mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.