Chicken feed

Matariki is all about getting together and sharing delicious kai with your whānau, so here are a couple of recipes that fit the bill for a family celebration feast, whether your group is big or small.

Roast chook my way

Recipe & food styling: Kathy Snowball Photo: Steve Brown

Serves: 4

There are many ways to roast a chicken, and I have tried them all. Now I just do it ‘‘my way’’, with the best free-range chook, lots of butter, lemon juice and garlic, herbs picked straight from the garden, and sitting in a few centimetres of water to keep it moist. I use a variety of herbs and when french tarragon is in season, I add that, as it works so well with chicken. It grows in several places around my garden, dying off in winter, then appearing again in spring.I like to serve roast chicken on a bed of risoni (rice-shaped pasta), tossed with leeks and wilted spinach to soak up the rich juices, as I have done here, or with saute´ed potatoes and a salad of rocket, radicchio and feta. - Kathy Snowball

■ 1.8kg chicken, rinsed and patted dry

■ 1 large lemon, halved

■ 4 sprigs thyme

■ 4 sprigs rosemary

■ 4 sprigs french tarragon (when in season)

■ Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

■ Butter, for roasting

■ Salt and freshly ground black pepper

■ 12 cloves garlic, unpeeled

■ 60ml (1⁄4 cup) dry white wine

■ 11⁄2 cups risoni

■ 1 tbsp light olive oil

■ 2 leeks (white part only), chopped

■ 2 bunches spinach, stalks removed, washed and coarsely chopped

Place the chicken in a roasting pan, breast side up. Juice the lemon halves and pour over the chicken, rubbing some into the skin, then stuff the lemon husks inside the cavity with a sprig each of thyme, rosemary and tarragon, if available.

Drizzle the chicken with extra virgin olive oil and dot with butter.

The amounts are up to you, but I like to be generous. Coarsely chop the remaining thyme, rosemary and tarragon leaves, and sprinkle over and around the chicken, then sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Add some water to the pan (the vital ingredient) to a depth of about 2cm, then add garlic cloves.

Roast at 200C for 1 hour and 10 minutes, then test to see if done by piercing the thigh to see if the juices run clear. Remove from the oven, transfer the chicken and garlic to a plate and cover loosely with tin foil to rest.

I don’t skim off any fat from the pan, but you can if you prefer. Add the wine to the pan juices, bring to the boil and reduce to the consistency of pouring cream, then season to taste.

Meanwhile, for the risoni with leeks and spinach, add the risoni to a saucepan of simmering salted water, and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain.

Heat the light olive oil in a wok, add the leeks and stir over a medium heat until tender. Add the spinach and stir-fry until wilted. Toss the risoni and spinach mixture together. Serve the chicken and garlic on a bed of the risoni mixture and drizzle with the reduced pan juices.