A SPECIAL PREVIEW FROM "AT HOME WITH UMAMI" | 2015 • Ryland, Peters & Small
This is a great recipe even though I say so myself! It is all in the title. You will be hard-pushed to find a more super or savoury roast chicken recipe around. I like to serve this with Parmesan polenta made with whole milk instead of water. To save time you can make the paste in advance and store it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days until ready to use.Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1 x 1.5kg free-range chicken
1 small handful of dried mushrooms (I use shitake)
3 onions, peeled and quartered
1 sprig rosemary
6 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
300ml red wine
300ml water
FOR THE PASTE
1 chicken stock cube
3 large cloves of garlic
4 sundried tomatoes
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
½ tbsp tomato puree
½ tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp fish sauce
1½ tbsp paprika
½ tsp chilli flakes
2 sprigs of rosemary (leaves only)
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Pat the chicken dry with some kitchen paper.
- Place ½ an onion, 1 sprig of rosemary and dried mushrooms into the cavity of the chicken.
- Take the remaining onion quarters and place into a roasting tray to form a trivet and place the chicken on top.
- Rub the chicken all over with the olive oil and pour any extra in to the tray - this is necessary in order to create a robust gravy. Season with a sprinkling of sea salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
- Place in the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the paste by putting all its ingredients into a food processor and blending until smooth.
- Now mix the paste with the wine and water in a large jug.
- After 20 minutes, turn down the oven temperature to 180°C. Remove the tray and pour the wine and paste mixture around the chicken – it is important you don’t pour it over the chicken at this stage. Put back into the oven for 50 minutes.
- Now, take the chicken out of the oven again for a total flavour bomb attack. Carefully baste the chicken with the rich gravy, spooning all over the chicken into every nook and cranny. Place back in the oven for a final 15 minutes so that the skin takes on all the flavour of the sauce. Ensure the chicken is cooked my inserting a skewer between the leg and breast. If the juices run clear then it is cooked.
"At Home With Umami" by Laura Santtini is now available from Amazon.com and all quality book stores. Images by Con Poulos, courtesy of Ryland Peters.
