INGREDIENTS
30 cloves garlic
1 lemon
1 x 2 kg free-range chicken
3 sprigs rosemary, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
125 ml verjuice
METHOD
- Place the unpeeled garlic in an unperforated steam tray, Steam 100°C for 4 minutes. Remove from the steam oven and set aside.
- Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the cavity of the chicken, then add the rosemary. Mix olive oil with a good pinch of sea salt and pepper and massage into the skin of the bird. Sit the chook on the wire rack over a lined universal tray.
- Place into the combi steam pro oven and select Combi Mode won Fan Plus 180°C + 25 minutes + 85% moisture.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, pour over verjuice and place the steamed garlic into the universal tray, select Combi Mode and roast with Fan Plus 210°C + 15-20 minutes + 50% moisture. This stage of cooking is mostly for browning, to ensure you do not overcook the chook, set the time for 20 minutes and check the chook after 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the chook and place breast side down (the internal temperature should be 62°C) on the trivet to rest for 30 minutes (the internal temp should reach at least 65°C), covered loosely with foil. The resting time ensures even cooking of the chook and increases succulency. When carving, the flesh will be opaque and the juices run clear.
- Carve the chook, then pour over the pan juices and serve accompanied by the roasted garlic.
Alternative appliance methods
Oven with Moisture Plus
- Place the tray into the oven on shelf level 3. Select Moisture Plus with Auto Roast at 180°C with 2 manual bursts of steam, releasing a burst of steam at 5 minutes and the second burst of steam at 20 minutes. Cook for 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked through between the thigh and breast. If using a food probe, cook the chicken until the desired internal temperature is reached.
- Alternatively find the Automatic Programme under Meat / Poultry / Chicken / Whole.
Oven without Moisture Plus
- Place the tray into the oven on shelf level 3. Select Auto Roast at 180°C. Cook for 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked through between the thigh and breast. If using a food probe, cook the chicken until the desired internal temperature is reached.
- Alternatively find the Automatic Programme under Meat / Poultry / Chicken / Whole.
Speed oven
- Place the tray into the oven on shelf level 1. Select MW + fan Plus Power level / Temperature: 300W + 180°C. Cook for 35 – 35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through between the thigh and breast.
- Alternatively find the Automatic Programme under Meat / Poultry / Chicken / Whole.
Dialog oven
- Place the tray into the oven on shelf level 2. Select Gourmet Profi + M Chef + Fan Plus 230°C + GU: Medium Intensity + Preheat ON + Crisp function ON + Duration 40 minutes.
- Alternatively find the Automatic Programme under Meat / Poultry / Chicken.
Hints and tips
- If the oven has the food probe, use a core temperature of 62°C instead of the 20 minute duration at step 4.
- Selecting a chook for roasting: “Of course for me I always prefer one of Saskia’s well brought up chooks but when not available it’s important that I have a chook that’s been reared on a totally vegetarian diet. The legume, wheat and corn mix the chooks feed on results in such a profound difference in flavour from that of chooks fed on protein derived from fish- and meat meal. There is no doubt that the corn in the diet results in greater amounts of fat under the skin and a lot more marbling than other diets – but what flavour it produces.” Maggie