ROASTED CHICKEN WITH CARROT & MINT & CORIANDER ZHOUG

Prep + cooking: 1 hr 40 mins. Serves 6.

1kg baby carrots, trimmed, scrubbed 1 medium bulb garlic, halved

1.6kg whole chicken

100g butter, softened

Mint & coriander zhoug

4 pods cardamom, bruised

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 cup firmly packed fresh coriander leaves 1 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves 2 fresh long red chillies, seeded, chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed

⅓ cup (80ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 Preheat oven to 220˚C (200˚C fan).

2 Place carrots and garlic in the base of a roasting pan. Place chicken on top of carrots, breast-side up, tucking wings under chicken. Using your hands, carefully separate skin from meat over breast and thighs of the chicken. Place butter between the skin and the meat, spreading it evenly under the skin, without tearing the skin.

3 Cover with foil and roast 20mins, then reduce oven to 180˚C (160˚ fan). Remove foil and roast a further 45mins or until chicken is cooked through. (To test, insert a small knife or metal skewer into the thickest part of the thigh. Juices will run clear when cooked through.)

4 Meanwhile, make mint and coriander zhoug. Remove seeds from cardamom pods and place in a small food processor, along with remaining ingredients. Process until finely chopped. Season. Makes ⅔ cup.

5 Cut chicken into portions. Serve with roast carrots, garlic, zhoug and pan juices.

TIP Health authorities advise cooks not to rinse poultry as it is more likely to spread bacteria to other areas of the kitchen through the washing process, whereas cooking is sufficient to kill any harmful bacteria.