Roast chicken with tarragon,
garlic and lemon
SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 1 HR 15 MINS (PLUS RESTING)
“This is my standard roast chook,” says Hafner. “It’s
super-easy and delicious. I use tarragon because it’s
such a good match with chicken and it grows wild in
my garden, but sage or thyme also work really well.”
50 gm butter, softened
50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup (firmly packed) tarragon
leaves, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
Finely grated rind
of 1 lemon
1 chicken (1.4kg-1.8kg),
brought to room
temperature
Lemon halves, for
squeezing
1 Preheat oven to 175°C.
Combine butter, oil, tarragon,
garlic and lemon rind in a bowl.
Carefully separate skin from
breast of chicken by running
your fingers under skin, keeping
skin intact. Evenly distribute
most of the herb butter under
skin with your hands, rubbing
remaining over the chicken.
Season chicken with salt, then
truss legs with kitchen string
and fold wings under. Transfer
to a roasting pan and roast,
basting every 20 minutes, until
the juices run clear when a
thigh is pierced with a skewer
(45 minutes for a 1.4kg chicken
and up to 1 hour 15 minutes
for a 1.8kg chicken). Set aside
loosely covered with foil to
rest (15-20 minutes), then serve
with pan juices mixed with a
squeeze of lemon to spoon over.
Wine suggestionThe best
chardonnay you can aord.