Chicken roasted in herbes de provence with duck fat new potatoes and jus (pictured on p104)
2 HOURS + BRINING + OVERNIGHT MARINATING + RESTING | SERVES 3-4 | EASY
whole chicken 1.2kg rock salt 360g
RUB
herbes de provence 100g
sweet paprika 30g
garlic powder 20g
onion powder 20g
white pepper 5g
olive oil 4 tbsp POTATOES
new potatoes 1kg
duck fat 3 tbsp, melted
sea salt flakes 2 tsp
herbes de provence 2 tbsp
JUS
good-quality beef stock 1.25 litres sherry vinegar a splash
1 Pour 1.5 litres of cold water into a container large enough to fit the whole chicken. Pour another 1.5 litres of water into a large pan and bring to the boil.
2 Pour the 360g of salt into the boiling water. Leave on a rolling boil until the salt is fully dissolved. Pour into the container with the cold water and allow to cool completely.
3 When the water is cold, put the chicken into the salty bath.
If the chicken is floating, ensure that the breast and legs are fully submerged – you may need something to help weigh it down. Leave to brine for 3 hours.
4 Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with kitchen paper. For the rub, mix together all the ingredients in a bowl, along with 10g of salt. Rub the marinade all over the chicken, inside and out, then cover and chill overnight.
5 Remove the chicken from the fridge at least 2 hours before roasting. Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Put the chicken in a large roasting tin and cook for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the chicken inside for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and a clean tea towel, then leave to rest for another 15 minutes.
6 Meanwhile, tip the potatoes into a large bowl and toss with the duck fat, salt, a grinding of black pepper and the herbes de provence. Tip into a large baking tray, cover with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and pour in half of the chicken roasting juices, then roast for another 20-30 minutes or until crisp.
7 To make the jus, pour the beef stock into a pan over a medium heat and cook until reduced by half. Pour in the remaining half of the chicken roasting juices, the sherry vinegar and a little seasoning. Serve the chicken with the potatoes and jus.
PER SERVING (4) 842 kcals | fat 43.5G saturates 10.3G | carbs 53.6G | sugars 5.3G fibre 10.5G | protein 53.6G | salt 6.8G