Poached Nomad chicken with fennel salad and spent citrus dressing

SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 40 MINS // COOK 2 HRS 30 MINS (PLUS INFUSING, COOLING)

“Tom Bradman and Verity Slee established Nomad Farms,” says McCaskill. “They believe healthy, diverse and abundant ecology is the very driver of highly productive farms. Any excess chicken can be shredded into sandwiches for lunch the next day.” Start this recipe one day ahead to infuse the citrus oil.

1.6 kg chicken

2 spring onions, thinly

sliced diagonally

2 cups (loosely packed)

coriander, torn

1 large fennel bulb, halved, core removed, thinly sliced on a mandoline, stalks and core reserved for masterstock, and fronds reserved for fritters

(see recipe p93)

½ cup (loosely packed) mint, coarsely torn, roots reserved for masterstock ¼ cup (loosely packed) amaranth (see note), coarsely torn, roots reserved for masterstock ¼ cup (loosely packed) sawtooth coriander

(see note), coarsely torn, roots reserved for masterstock 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced 2 small red chillies, thinly sliced

SPENT CITRUS OIL DRESSING 600 gm spent citrus, including juiced lemons/oranges/ limes, coarsely chopped 600 ml extra-virgin olive oil 1½ tbsp honey vinegar

(see note)

¼ tsp Dijon mustard MASTERSTOCK 1.5 litres (6 cups) chicken stock 250 ml (1 cup) ginger beer 50 gm ginger trimmings or thinly sliced ginger 2 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns 1 spring onion, trimmed, thinly sliced

Reserved roots, stalks and core from mint amaranth, coriander and fennel (from salad), coarsely chopped

1 For spent citrus oil dressing, combine citrus and oil in a saucepan over a very low heat (60°C maximum) and leave to infuse (1 hour). Cover with a lid and rest at room temperature (overnight). Repeat heating and cooling, but further resting isn’t required. Strain, then whisk 60ml citrus oil with honey vinegar and mustard, and season to taste. Spent citrus oil will keep in a covered container in a dark pantry for up to 2 weeks, and can also be used for fritters and chicken hearts (see recipes p93, p95).

2 For masterstock, combine ingredients in a large saucepan, and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce to low-medium heat, add chicken, cover and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 65°C (25-30 minutes). Remove from heat and allow stock to cool completely (2-3 hours).

3 For salad, combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Add spent citrus oil to taste, season to taste with salt and toss to combine.

4 Remove chicken from stock, strain stock, cool, cover and freeze for another use (see note) or use in dhal (see recipe p96). Cut chicken into quarters. Heat 60ml spent citrus oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add chicken, skin-side down, and cook until golden (5 minutes). Serve with salad.

Note Amaranth and sawtooth coriander are available from Asian supermarkets. Honey vinegar is available from select delicatessens. If unavailable, whisk 1 tsp honey with 11/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Each time the masterstock is used, boil to sterilise, then re-season with more herbs and spices. Wine suggestions For a white: a gerwürtztraminer from the Adelaide Hills such as the 2019 Yetti & The Kokonut. For a red: a blended shiraz tempranillo mourvèdre from McClaren Vale, such as the 2016 Rose Kentish.