If roast chicken is your jam, try this zingy lemon version.
This succulent lemon roast chicken balances perfectly with the sweetness of the parsnip puree. It’s a marriage made in heaven and a great alternative to a traditional roast chicken and potato mash.
Recipe courtesy of the food dept. (Recipe Sally Courtney, Art direction Anne Marie Cummins, Photography Brett Stevens, Styling Justine Poole)
PREP TIME: 15 mins COOK TIME: 1 1/4 hours SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 x 1.5kg free range chicken, rinse and pat dry
2 lemons, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bunch lemon thyme
olive oil
salt flakes and black pepper, to taste
1 cup chicken stock
750g parsnips, peeled
30g butter
1 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cups chicken stock
white pepper, to taste
METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 200C. Fill the cavity of chicken with lemon slices, garlic and ½ of the thyme. Secure chicken legs with cooking string.
2. Place chicken in a roasting pan and rub with oil, season. Sprinkle over remaining thyme sprigs and roast 1 hour, or until cooked through.
3. Remove chicken from pan and place on a warm platter. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes.
4. Place pan and pan juices over a medium heat, deglaze with stock and simmer until reduced to ¼ cup.
5. To make parsnip puree: Quarter parsnips lengthways, remove woody core and discard, roughly chop.
6.
Heat butter in a saucepan until bubbling; add onion and garlic, sauté 5 minutes. Add parsnip and sauté 5 minutes.
7. Add stock, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered 15 minutes. Remove lid and simmer for further 15 minutes or until stock has evaporated.
8. Using a stick blender, blend until smooth. Adjust thickness with extra stock and season.
9. Serve chicken with pan juices, Parsnip puree and steamed beans.