Stop. The. Press. This was the juiciest, most delicious chicken I have ever cooked. If you’re not a fan of uber moist, soft poultry, step away from the screen and don’t come back. Just look at her, with her herby bits and her flecks of browned butter. Drool. And, she was just as good the next day cold. Imagine a girl and a cat in the kitchen… The girl gnaws at the carcass and strips it of flesh which she devours, and very graciously shares with the cat.
Crown of chicken, is the two breasts still attached to the bone. This can be easily butchered by you at home when you buy a whole chicken, which is super economical and will do about 4 meals for 2 people. I have never actually cooked just crown of chicken before; I have bought loads of whole chickens and broken them down into separate components, however, I normally just slice the breasts off, and use the carcass to make stock. Not only was I so pleased with the taste (as often breast can be dry), but it took only half an hour, which is a bonus for time conscious cooks.
Be careful when butchering your chicken as you want to try and keep the skin intact, as it will be acting as a barrier to keep in a heap of buttery goodness.
This meal will serve 4 people when served with sides and is the perfect fare for an easy mid-week supper or weekend lunch.
If you want drinks pairing for this dish, try a super hoppy beer which will work well with the herbs, like Howling Hops IPA, or Island Records Session IPA. For a wine pairing, try something with a bit of backbone and minerality, like a dry riesling.
Ingredients
- crown of chicken, medium-sized bird
- 100g unsalted butter, chopped into small cubes
- handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 5 sage leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 large sprig rosemary, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- salt and pepper, to taste
- extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
Method
- In a mixing bowl place the butter, herbs, garlic and lemon juice. Grind in some fresh black pepper and sprinkle in some sea salt flakes. Mix well until a herbed butter is formed.
- Carefully separate the chicken skin from the flesh using your fingers. You are going to place the herbed butter under the skin. Distribute it evenly, making sure you get into as many crevices as possible. Place chicken back in the fridge for about 20 or so minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200˚C fan forced or 220˚C for conventional.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge and season well with salt and pepper.
- Heat a frying pan with a splash of oil until it is very hot and place the chicken breast side down into the pan. You want the chicken to get some nice colour at this stage. After about 2 minutes or so, turn the chicken over and seal the base for a further minute. Don’t worry if some of the butter seeps out. You will be using these juices to baste the chicken with, nothing will go to waste.
- Place the chicken and any juices into a roasting tray and roast for 30 minutes (this is adequate for a medium-sized chicken, less for a small bird and more for a large bird). Baste with the juices every ten minutes by spooning over the bird.
- Remove from oven and cover in tin foil and let the chicken rest for about ten minutes or so. This is imperative as it ensures all the juices stay in the flesh and don’t spill out when you start to carve.
- Slice the chicken to serve and pair with your favourite sides. Sautéed potatoes are always a hit, or perhaps some glazed carrots.
