INGREDIENTS
2 whole chickens, 1.4 – 1.8kg
1 tablespoon salt
400ml duck fat, melted
Herb dressing
1 bunch tarragon, washed, leaves picked
1-2 bunches dill, washed, leaves picked
1 bunch chives, washed
Murray River salt flakes
200ml olive oil
Braised lettuce
2 Cosburg lettuce, washed, trimmed
2 cups peas
100ml white wine
250ml chicken stock
50g unsalted butter
Murray River salt flakes and black pepper to taste
To serve
Nasturtium leaves
Chives
METHOD
Chicken
- Place chicken on a chopping board, breast side up. Using a sharp knife, break down the chicken by removing the legs and wings, leaving the wing bone attached to the breast.
- Turn the chicken breast crown on its side and cut through the back of the breast to remove the back bone.
Confit leg
- Add salt to the chicken legs and place in an airtight container. Refrigerate overnight.
- Pre-heat Oven on Conventional at 120°C.
- Using paper towel, pat dry chicken legs and place in a deep roasting dish. Pour over duck fat to cover legs. Cover dish with aluminum foil and cook for 2.5 – 3 hours. Remove from Oven and leave to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and once cool, remove legs from duck fat and reserve. Using a knife, gently remove the bones from the meat, leaving the skin intact. Place chicken meat, skin side up onto a Multi-purpose tray. Press the meat together tightly to hold its shape and cover. Cool in the Refrigerator until ready to use.
Roast chicken crown
- Place the breast crown onto a plate lined with paper towel. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Leave uncovered in the Refrigerator overnight.
- Remove chicken crown from Refrigerator 45 minutes prior to roasting. This will enable it to cook more evenly. Put chicken on a grilling and roasting insert and place in a multi-purpose tray.
- Pre-heat Steam Combination Oven on Conventional at 220°C.
- Lightly drizzle chicken with oil and season well with salt. Place chicken on shelf position 2.
- Select Combination Mode:
- Stage 1: Select Conventional at 220°C + 15 minutes + 70% moisture
- Stage 2: Select Conventional at 150°C + 20 minutes + 0% moisture
- Remove chicken from Oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes, uncovered. Remove breasts from the bone, cover and place in a Gourmet Warming Drawer, Keep Food Warm Setting 1,
approx 65°C. - Increase Oven temperature to Conventional at 220°C. Place chicken legs onto a Multi-purpose tray and drizzle with oil. Place on shelf position 2 and Roast for 10 -15 minutes until legs are golden brown. Cut legs in half. Allow to rest in the Gourmet Warming Drawer and cover until ready to serve.
Braised lettuce
- Heat a Frying pan on Induction setting 7. Add wine and reduce by half. Add the stock and boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to Induction setting 3, add in butter and stir until melted.
- Add peas and lettuce and heat on Induction setting 5 for 5 minutes, coating the vegetables in the sauce. Braise until the peas are cooked and the lettuce is wilted but still crisp.
Herb dressing
- Roughly chop the herbs before placing in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt.
- Pound herbs and gradually add oil to form a thin, smooth paste. Add more oil if required.
To serve
- Place a few lettuce leaves into a small ring approximately 10cm in diameter.
- Add some peas to the middle, using the leaves to prevent the peas from running over the plate.
- Top leaves with a piece of confit leg and a few slices of breast.
- Spoon over herb sauce and garnish with nasturtium leaves and mixed herbs.
Notes
- Source the best quality free range or organic chicken for this dish.
- Left over chicken wings, back bone and chicken frames can be used for the bone broth or frozen for stock.
- Leaving chicken uncovered in the Refrigerator helps the skin to crisp.
- Confit chicken leg will keep stored in an airtight container, refrigerated for 2 weeks.
- Cosberg lettuce is a cross between Cos and Iceberg. Substitute with Baby Cos if unavailable.
- Herb dressing can be made in advance and will keep in the Refrigerator for 1 week.
- Nasturtium leaves and flowers can be purchased from markets and gourmet grocers.
APPLIANCE / FUNCTION
Matt Stone
Hailing from the remote and bountiful region of Margaret River, Western Australia, Matt Stone spent his formative years surrounded by one of Australia's richest landscapes for produce. As a chef and author, his cuisine underscores an ideology deeply rooted in connection to country. His sustainable dining philosophies drives him to create modern and innovative food, showcasing quality seasonal produce. He believes in slow food and locally sourced ingredients and when he’s not at the stove or in the garden, you’ll find him experimenting with pickling and preserving.
