Butterflied Chicken with Zucchini Salad and Salsa Verde
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1.2kg whole fresh chicken
50g butter, softened
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 tbsp lemon thyme, chopped
Salsa Verde
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 tbsp mint, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp baby capers, rinsed, drained, finely chopped
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 lemon, zest and juice
Zucchini Salad
4 small globe artichokes
12 zucchini flowers
2 tbsp olive oil
100g baby rocket leaves
2 tbsp verjuice
Method:
Preheat oven to 200°C.
To butterfly the chicken, place chicken, breast side down, on a work surface. Remove backbone. Turn chicken breast-side up, push down breast to flatten. Tuck wings under breast bone. Push a metal skewer diagonally through wing to thigh on opposite side. Repeat on the other side to create a cross.
Place chicken in a roasting pan. Combine butter, lemon zest and juice and lemon thyme in a bowl. Season and spread over chicken. Roast chicken for 45 minutes or until cooked. Transfer to a plate, cover with foil and set aside for 10 minutes.
To make salsa verde, place oil, parsley, mint, capers, anchovies, garlic, lemon zest and juice into a mortar. Pound with a pestle until combined.
To make zucchini salad, trim stems off the artichokes. Cut 2cm off the top of each artichoke. Peel until you reach pale yellow leaves. Cut in half lengthways. Scoop out choke; discard. Place in a bowl of acidulated water, then boil for 10 minutes or until tender.
Heat a chargrill on high. Brush artichokes and zucchini flowers with a little oil. Cook on chargrill for 2 minutes. Arrange on a platter with rocket. Drizzle with remaining oil and verjuice.
Cut chicken into portions. Drizzle with salsa verde and serve with zucchini salad.
