How To Entertain This Month – With Alexandra Dudley
Everyone has their favourite roast chicken recipe, and this is mine. Spatchcocking a chicken might seem like an overwhelming task, but it is actually fairly simple. I usually ask my butcher to do it for me to save time. When stuffing the chicken, be sure to get the butter as far under the skin as you can. This will ensure that it is beautifully tender and will give you a glorious layer of lemony herbs between crispy skin and succulent meat.
The potatoes are inspired by a potato dish I had in Greece a few years ago. They work well with this homemade aioli but in a pinch, some good quality shop bought mayo would suffice. I’ve yet to have any leftovers when cooking this combination for friends. Think of it as twist on a classic roast, or perhaps an elevated chicken and chips.
For pudding, I serve my no-churn cherry ripple ice-cream. I have been making ice-cream this way for years and it requires no fancy gadgets or elbow grease. Once its mixed, just pop it in the freezer until it’s ready to serve. I love it with crushed amaretti biscuits over the top but if you are a chocolate and cherry fan, some grated dark chocolate would be delicious too.
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Herb Buttered Spatchcocked Chicken
I am always happy whenever I eat at a friend’s house and I’m told they are “just roasting a chicken and throwing together a salad”. There are few combinations more perfect in my eyes. Until I cooked this. The recipe came about the night before I was travelling. I had a glut of herbs that needed using and a chicken in the fridge. Cooking a chicken with herbs is no novelty, nor is stuffing the skin with butter. To be entirely honest the latter really should be compulsory when cooking a chicken as the result is delicious. But it is the combination of herbs that makes this so good. In the summer it is tarragon, dill, parsley and mint I’m drawn to. There is a fair amount of picking leaves and chopping herbs, but the result is well worth it.
Ask your butcher to spatchcock the chicken for you. To spatchcock a chicken, you’ll need some good kitchen shears or strong scissors. On a flat surface place your chicken breast side down (upside down to the way you would roast it). Working from the thigh end cut along one side of the breastbone using your shears. Turn the chicken around and cut down the other side. Remove the backbone and reserve for stock. Turn the chicken over and you will now have a spatchcocked chicken. Place your spatchcocked chicken breast side up onto a large roasting tray.
Finely chop the herbs and combine them with the soft butter, lemon zest, garlic and salt. I find the easiest way to mix it is by hand and then rub it straight onto the chicken, but you could also use a fork.
Using your hands push the butter under the skin from the breast and the thighs. Fiddle around until you find an area where you can push through and create a cavity under the skin. Once the butter is in it is very simple to manipulate it down and around the chicken.
Spread the remaining butter all over the chicken ensuring you cover the thighs and legs.
Roast for 45-50 minutes until the juices run clear.
Serve on a large platter with the potatoes piled up next to the chicken. Squeeze over fresh lemon juice just before serving. I like to place a few lemon wedges on the platter too. Serve alongside a bowl of aioli.
Lemon Potatoes & Aioli
These potatoes are cooked on huge trays in a pizza-style oven and when I had them in Greece, they were so full of flavour I asked for the recipe. The secret was to initially cook them with a rich stock. I have simplified these and subbed a stock cube and the result is still delicious. I do recommend making an aioli if you can – even if this is your first time making homemade mayonnaise. It is one of those things that is always deemed impressive but is really very simple.
To cook the potatoes, preheat the oven to 200°C Fan.
Wash and peel potatoes and chop them into even sized wedges. Arrange onto a large oven tray.
Using a vegetable peeler peel large strips of the rind of lemon and set these aside. Drizzle the potatoes with the oil. Squeeze over the juice of the peeled lemon. Sprinkle over the salt and oregano and toss to coat.
Roast for 20 minutes, then add the stock and lemon strips. Toss to coat and roast for a further 30 minutes. Check after 15 to give them another toss. If they are sticking, add another drizzle of olive oil.
The potatoes should be golden brown and charred in places.
To make the aioli, combine the egg, egg yolk, finely grated garlic, lemon juice, mustard and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine.
Combine the two oils into a jug and, with the motor running, gently pour a thin stream of oil into the eggs as they blend. Check every so often until you have reached a desired consistency. You may need to add more oil, you may need to use less. Work slowly. You are looking for a creamy consistency, thick enough that you leave a slight indent when running a spoon through the mix but not so thick that it seems stiff.
Transfer to a bowl ready to serve. Or, if making it ahead of time keep chilled until the chicken and potatoes are ready.
Cherry Ripple & Amaretto No-Churn Ice-Cream
I’ve used this method of making ice-cream for years and swear by it. Even when I was bought an ice-cream maker, I remained loyal. Technically it’s more of a semifreddo but scooped up into a cone or spooned over with syrupy fruit coulis, you’d never know the difference. I add a grown-up spin to this by way of a good splash of amaretto and crushed amaretti biscuits. Both work beautifully with the cherries, which are in season right now.
To make your cherry ripple, remove the stones and roughly chop your cherries. Place into a small saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice and place over a low/medium heat for about 10 minutes. Then add your amaretto liqueur and allow to cool. Transfer to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Place in fridge until chilled.
Preheat your oven to 180°C Fan. Spread your almonds over a clean baking tray and roast for 8-10 minutes checking half-way through. Allow to cool before roughly chopping and adding to a small bowl with the crushed amaretti biscuits.
Separate your egg whites and yolks placing the whites in a large clean mixing bowl and the yolks into a small bowl.
Add the amaretto to the yolks and whisk using a fork. Beat the egg whites using an electric whisk until fluffy then slowly add the sugar continuing to beat until the whites are stiff and glossy.
In a separate medium sized bowl whisk the cream until soft peaks form.
Fold the egg yolks into the cream. Then take roughly a quarter of your egg white mix and fold into the cream mix to loosen it.
Pour the cream mix into the egg whites and fold gently adding your cherry ripple and chopped almonds and crushed amaretti biscuits half-way through.
Pour into a freezer safe load tin or pyrex dish. Lightly cover with baking parchment and wrap in a tea towel or cover with a lid. Freeze overnight.
For the amaretto-soaked cherries, halve the cherries and remove the pips. Place in a bowl and add the amaretto liqueur. Allow them to steep for an hour or so.
Scoop the ice-cream into bowls. Add a spoonful of boozy cherries and crush over extra amaretti biscuits and almonds if you wish.
For more from Alexandra, follow her @AlexandraDudley or visit AlexandraDudley.com
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