Ingredients
1.8kg whole chicken
1 lemon, halved
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Blanched broccolini, blanched sugar snap peas and roasted red onion, to serve
Macadamia herb seasoning
1 bunch thyme
3/4 cup macadamia nuts, roasted, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh sage
4 thin slices prosciutto, roughly chopped
100g butter, softened
4 cloves garlic, crushed
Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season
Method
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For seasoning, pick half the thyme leaves and place in the small bowl of a food processor with nuts, sage and prosciutto. Process until finely chopped (be careful, you don’t want a paste). Transfer to a bowl and stir in butter and garlic. Season.
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Preheat oven to 160°C fan-forced (180°C conventional). Place a wire rack in a roasting pan.
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Rinse chicken inside and out with water. Pat cavity and skin dry with paper towel. Run your fingers carefully between skin and breast meat, then place seasoning under skin, pressing gently to spread evenly (you will need to do this about 1-2 teaspoons at a time).
Put lemon in cavity and tuck wings underneath. Season. Tie legs together with cooking string.
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Place chicken, breast-side up, in roasting pan, and drizzle with oil. Roast for 1 hour and 40 minutes, occasionally brushing with oil during cooking. Remove chicken from oven, cover loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes.
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Serve roast chicken with remaining sprigs of thyme, broccolini, sugar snap peas and red onion.
Roast chicken is a versatile addition to any Christmas menu. It is glorious atop a heaped platter of veg but also pairs wonderfully with virtually all Christmas side dishes. You can use it for roast turkey too, just make 1.5 times the amount so you have enough.
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