The slow-roasted garlic turns into a nutty, buttery paste and flavours the chicken perfectly. This is delicious served with buttered Brussels sprouts and peas. Recipe pictured following pages.
Ingredients
- 1.6 kg free-range chicken
- 3 tablespoons Sea salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons Ground fennel seeds
- 1 ½ tablespoons Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large Lemons (Sliced into 5 mm thick rounds)
- 60 gms Unsalted butter
- 5 Sprigs thyme
- 2 Bulbs garlic (unpeeled, lightly crushed)
- 6 small potatoes (spunta or kipfler) (unpeeled, sliced into rounds)
- 100 ml Olive oil
- 1 Bay leaf
- 200 ml White wine
- 220 gms Plain flour
- 150 ml Water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 165(degree)C. Use a knife to trim the fat from the chicken cavity, then dry the chicken inside and out with paper towels.
- Combine the salt, fennel seeds and pepper. Rub the chicken inside and out with the salt mixture, then place a few lemon slices inside the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a heavy-based ovenproof dish. Push some of the butter and thyme under the skin, then place the rest inside the chicken. Add the garlic, potatoes and remaining lemon slices to the dish.
- Pour olive oil over the chicken. Add the bay leaf and wine to the dish and put the lid on. Make a flour paste by combining the flour and water, adjusting the quantities if necessary - the dough should be sticky but able to be handled. Seal the dish with the paste and bake for 1 hour.
Notes
Serves 4-6