Deliciously pungent wild garlic, mixed with buttery chicken juices makes for a wonderful gravy alternative here. We’ve accompanied it with an aromatic salsa verde, containing parsley and mint (both believed to help counter garlic breath!) and pistachio kernels.
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Yields:
4 serving(s)
Prep Time:
25 mins
Cook Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 10 mins
Cal/Serv:
579
Ingredients
For the chicken
75g
butter, softened
5Tbsp.
finely chopped wild garlic, see GH TIP
finely grated zest 1 lemon
1 medium whole chicken (about 1.4kg)
For the salsa verde
25g
flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chunky stalks discarded
25g
mint, leaves picked
15g
pistachio kernels
1Tbsp.
capers, drained
1tsp.
Dijon mustard
2Tbsp.
lemon juice
5
extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Step 1Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. For the chicken, in a small bowl using a fork, mash the butter, wild garlic, lemon zest and plenty of seasoning. Set aside.
Step 2Put the chicken breast-side down on a board and remove any string/trussing. Using sturdy kitchen scissors, cut along each side of the backbone and discard. Turn chicken over and press down hard on the breast to flatten it (you should hear it crack). Pat dry with kitchen paper.
Step 3Use your fingers to ease the skin gently away from the breast and thigh meat, being careful not to tear the skin. Spread 3/4 of the butter mixture between the skin and the meat, then spread the remaining 1/4 on the outside. Transfer to a large shallow roasting tin, skin-side up.
Step 4Roast for 40-45min, basting halfway with the juices in the tin, or until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is golden. Remove from oven and leave to rest in a warm place for 10min.
Step 5Meanwhile, make the salsa verde. In the small bowl of a food processor, whizz the parsley, mint, pistachios and capers until roughly chopped. Add the mustard, lemon juice, oil and a pinch of salt and whizz until fairly smooth. Alternatively, finely chop the herbs, pistachios and capers by hand, mix in a small bowl with the mustard, lemon juice and salt, then gradually whisk in the oil. Thin with a little cold water, if you like.
Step 6To serve, transfer the chicken to a board and spoon over some of the resting juices from the tin. Serve with the salsa verde and roasted Jersey Royals, if you like.
GET AHEAD: Prepare chicken to end of step 3 up to a day ahead. Cover and chill. To serve, allow to come to room temperature for 30min and complete recipe.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
