Roast Chicken with Gluten Free Crumb

ingredients

• 1 large whole chicken (about 2kg)
• 1 small handful parsley
• 2-3 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
• 2 spring onion stalks, chopped finely
• ½ lemon, zested
• 3-4 large sage leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
• 4 tbsp butter
• Olive oil, for cooking
• ½ cup Gluten Free chicken stock.

Stuffing

• 1 small brown onion, diced
• 4 slices Gluten Free bread (stale!), chopped into cubes
• 1/2 cup Free from breadcrumbs
• Salt and pepper
• ½ lemon, squeezed
• 1 cup Gluten Free chicken stock (more if needed)

Optional

• Vegetables! Carrots, sweet potato, beetroot, white potato

method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C fan-forced.
2. Onto a chopping board, add parsley, rosemary, spring onion, lemon zest, sage and garlic. Chop as fine as you can! Add olive oil & salt and continue chopping until very fine. Halve this mixture and set aside.
3. In a deep pan, heat a splash of olive oil over medium heat. Add diced brown onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add half of the herb mixture and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Add GF crumb and the GF bread with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken stock and lemon squeeze and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. At the tip of the chicken breast, lift up the skin and separate from the breast (without tearing!). Pull gently to separate.
5. Place one small stick of butter down each breast. With the remaining herb mixture, divide it between both breast pockets and then all over the chicken.
6. Spoon the stuffing into the chicken cavity (bake any extra stuffing in a small covered dish alongside for the last 30 minutes). Add chicken into a deep baking dish and pour over ½ cup of chicken stock.
7. Add potatoes, carrots or any other vegetable you like around the chicken (or into a separate baking dish) and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
8. Roast for about 1 hour per 1kg of chicken (about 2 hours for a 2kg chicken), or until the juices run clear and it reaches 75°C in the thickest part of the thigh and in the centre of the stuffing.