BARBECUED CHICKEN WITH CHARRED GREENS & CHIMICHURRI
From Tonight’s Dinner 2
Serves 4
Prep 15 minutes Stand 1 hour Cook 1 hour Rest 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 whole free-range
chicken, about 1.7kg Salt and black pepper, to
season
2 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 tbsp dark soy sauce ¾ cup (190ml) olive oil 200g snake beans or
green beans
1 bunch broccolini
1 bunch English spinach 6 thick spring onions
Chimichurri
1 firmly packed cup flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, roughly
chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
½ cup 125ml extra virgin
olive oil
2 tbs white wine vinegar Salt and black pepper, to
taste
1 tsp dried crushed chilli
(optional)
You’re probably reading this because you’re intrigued by the chicken component, but I wrote this recipe mainly for the greens. Barbecuing is a great way to cook vegetables, including leafy greens.
Method
Using kitchen scissors, cut the backbone out of the chicken and reserve it for making stock. Place the chicken in a large bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Pour over the vinegar, soy sauce and half the olive oil, rubbing all over the chicken. Set aside for about one hour.
Meanwhile, combine all the chimichurri ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Stand for at least 30 minutes before using.
Heat a hooded barbecue grill to 160C. Grill the chicken, skin side down and with the hood pulled down, for 20 minutes, and then skin side up for a further 20 minutes. (Alternatively, if you don’t have a hooded barbecue, you can roast the chicken in a preheated oven at 200C fan-forced for 40 minutes.)
Rest the chicken for 15 minutes. While the chicken is resting, increase the barbecue heat to high.
Drizzle the vegetables liberally with the remaining olive oil and season well with salt.
Grill separately in batches until cooked to your liking. The beans, broccoli and spring onion might take five to six minutes, but the spinach should cook in just a minute or so.
Serve the chicken on the greens, with the chimichurri spooned over the chicken, and in a bowl on the side.
This is an edited extract from Tonight’s Dinner 2, by Adam Liaw: Hardie Grant, $45. Available in stores nationally. Photography: Steve Brown