Roast Chicken with Beans & Tangy Lemon Gravy
A butterflied roast chook with garlicky mash, charred lemony beans and a sharp, mustardy lemon gravy made straight from the pan.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp fine salt
1 whole chicken, butterflied, fatty bits left on
6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into even chunks
1 bulb garlic, peeled
100g butter
150ml milk, warmed
500g beans (a combination of green, butter and roman), sliced into 5cm lengths
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp flake salt
2 tsp flour
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1 tsp Dijon mustard
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Place the chicken in a flameproof roasting tray, slather with 2 tablespoons of the oil and rub with the fine salt. Roast for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes with about 8 of the garlic cloves (keep 4 or so for later) in plenty of salted water until fork tender, about 20 minutes depending on the size.
Mash the potatoes and garlic well with the butter and warmed milk, and keep warm.
In a large frying pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the reserved garlic, finely sliced, and throw the beans straight in on top. Char the beans and garlic slightly for about 5 minutes, then toss well. Add the rosemary and continue to toss. Add 2 tablespoons water to help steam the beans, then cover with the lemon zest and pepper, and keep warm.
Once the chook is done, set it aside on a warm platter to rest and put the roasting pan on the stove over medium heat. There should be a fair amount of fat in the pan. Add the flour and stir well, coating each particle.
Add the lemon juice, mustard and stock powder, stir to combine, then gradually add 1 cup of water, stirring and scraping as you go so it becomes a smooth gravy. Continue until it reaches your desired thickness. Season well with salt and pepper.
Carve the chook and serve on the mash with a pile of beans and a pool of gravy.
HINTS
Butterflying the chicken opens it out so it roasts faster and more evenly, with more skin exposed to crisp.
Keeping some raw garlic back to char with the beans gives a different, sharper garlic note than the soft cloves mashed into the potato.
Build the gravy straight in the roasting pan while the chook rests - all those stuck-on bits are pure flavour.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 4 - guide only):
Energy: 18500 kJ (4420 cal)
Protein: 260 g
Fat: 280 g
Saturated fat: 105 g
Carbohydrate: 180 g
Sugars: 15 g
Sodium: 5200 mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.