Turmeric Roasted Chicken
My crispy skinned, golden brown, turmeric roasted chicken, served on a creamy bed of butter bean puree with caramelised, charry leeks. This one is easier than it looks and the flavours absolutely sing.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 whole Lilydale Free Range chicken
- 20g table salt
- 1 head garlic, cloves peeled
- 8 shallots, peeled and halved lengthways
- ½ lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch oregano (approx 10g)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 50g butter (or extra virgin olive oil)
- 1½ tbsp ground turmeric
For the white bean puree:
- 100g butter
- 10 garlic cloves
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 1 x 400g tin of butter beans
For the leeks:
- 2 large leeks, green tops trimmed (but bottoms remaining so they stay intact), halved lengthways and washed
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt flakes
Method
- Begin the night before. Season the chicken all over with salt and leave it uncovered in your fridge for a minimum of 8 hours or ideally 24 hours.
- Remove chicken from fridge an hour before cooking to bring to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 230°C .
- In a roasting pan, combine garlic cloves, shallots, lemon, oregano, a good pinch of salt flakes and olive oil. Toss to combine.
- Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in your pan.
- In a small bowl, melt butter then stir through turmeric. Brush this mixture evenly over the whole chicken. Place the remaining half of your lemon inside the chicken if you like.
- Roast the chicken for 35-50 minutes, until the internal temperature reads 65°C, or the juices run clear when the leg is pierced with a skewer. Once cooked, allow to rest for a minimum of 20 minutes before serving.
- Meanwhile, for the white bean puree, melt butter in your smallest saucepan.
- Add garlic and thyme and simmer over the lowest heat your stovetop offers, until garlic is tender and melty and beginning to caramelise, then set aside to cool.
- In a food processor or blender, blend butter beans, garlic and garlic butter. Loosen with ¼ cup chicken stock slowly added if it’s too thick. Taste and season, then pour back into a saucepan and set aside to be warmed on the stove before serving.
- Blanch leeks in a pot of salty water for 3-4 minutes, until vibrantly green and tender, then remove to a plate or tray to cool.
- Heat a pan over high heat with olive oil and cook leeks on their flat halves until charry and brown. Season with salt flakes.
- To serve, carve chicken, spread white bean puree on a serving platter, place roast vegetables, chicken and leeks on top, then finish by pouring over some of the pan juices.