Food & Wine
Butterflied saffron chicken
Sure, picking up a roast chicken from the supermarket is easy, but once you try this butterflied saffron chicken you’ll agree it’s worth the extra effort.
Ingredients:
- 1.3kg corn-fed, free-range chicken
- 140g salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sweet smoked Spanish paprika
Orange saffron paste
- 1 orange
- 50g honey
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 150ml water
Method:
- To prepare the orange saffron paste, thinly slice the top and bottom off orange and discard. Cut orange with skin into 12 wedges and make sure you remove any pips.
- Place orange wedges in a small pot and add honey, saffron, vinegar and 150ml cold water, or enough to just cover the orange.
- Place over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for an hour or until orange is soft and a syrup is formed.
- Remove from heat, transfer to a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process to a smooth, runny paste. Alternatively, you can puree with a stick blender.
- To prepare chicken, place it breast-side down on a clean board and, using poultry shears or kitchen scissors, cut on one side of the back bone along its entire length.
- Open chicken out as much as possible and turn it over so the skin side is up.
- Using the heel of your hand press firmly on the breastbone to break it, the collar bones, rib cage and wishbone. You should hear a cracking sound if done correctly.
- Pour two litres cold water into a large bowl and add salt, stirring to dissolve.
- Put chicken in brine. Top with plate to keep chicken submerged and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Remove chicken from brine and pat dry using paper towels.
- Preheat oven to 190°C. Lightly grease a roasting dish with additional olive oil.
- Cut wing tips off at the first joint. Remove the backbone by cutting out scissors.
- Starting from the neck end of the chicken and working over one breast at a time, loosen skin by sliding your fingers between the skin and flesh.
- Work slowly down towards the leg. Leave skin attached only at the tip of drumstick.
- Spread Orange Saffron Paste between chicken flesh and skin using a teaspoon. Smooth the outside of the skin to encourage the paste to evenly coat all the chicken flesh.
- Brush skin of chicken with olive oil then sprinkle with paprika.
- Place chicken skin side upwards into the roasting dish.
- Cook chicken for up to an hour and 10 minutes until the juices run clear, or internal temperature of the chicken reaches 75°C.
- Remove from oven and cover tray with aluminium foil. Rest chicken away from heat, at room temperature, for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from roasting dish and chop into 4-8 portions.
- Serve immediately, or cool and refrigerate to serve cold that day or next.
Written by Ruth Pretty. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
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