Rossdown Farms Free Range Half Chicken Recipe

Prepare herb brine

In a saucepan combine 500 ml of the water, salt and sugar. Warm gently, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat, add crushed garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns. Add remaining 1.5 l cold water to cool the brine completely. Chill until cold (≈30–45 minutes).

Brine chicken

Submerge the half chicken in the cooled brine in a non-reactive container or zipper bag. Refrigerate for 4–6 hours (up to 8 hours for more flavor).

Dry and season

Remove chicken from brine, discard brine and pat chicken very dry with paper towels. Let sit at room temperature 20–30 minutes before cooking. Mix the softened butter with lemon zest, chopped thyme and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Gently loosen the skin over the breast and thighs and spread half the butter mixture under the skin; rub the remaining butter on the skin. Brush skin with 1 tbs olive oil to promote even browning.

Grill or roast the chicken

Preheat grill to medium-high (200–220°C / 400–430°F) or oven to 200°C (400°F) with a roasting tray. If grilling: sear skin-side down over direct heat 6–8 minutes until golden and crisp, then move to indirect heat, close lid and cook 20–25 minutes until internal temperature at thickest part reaches 74°C (165°F). If roasting: place chicken on a rack in the roasting pan skin-side up and roast 35–40 minutes, finishing under a hot broiler for 2–3 minutes if needed to crisp the skin. Rest chicken 8–10 minutes before carving.

Carve

Cut the half chicken into desirable portions (breast and leg/thigh pieces) and keep warm while finishing jus and broccolini.

Prepare broccolini: toss trimmed broccolini with 1 tbs olive oil, sliced garlic, red pepper flakes and sea salt. Preheat grill or grill pan to high.

Grill: Place broccolini on the hot grill and cook 3–4 minutes per side until charred at tips and tender-crisp. Move to a cooler part of the grill if the garlic starts to burn. Squeeze half a lemon over broccolini just before removing from grill. Keep warm.

Render pan drippings: In a medium skillet over medium heat melt 1 tbs butter. Add chicken trimmings or pan drippings and sauté until browned and fragrant, about 4–5 minutes.

Build the jus: Add the diced shallot and minced garlic to the pan and sweat 2–3 minutes until translucent. Pour in the white wine and deglaze, scraping browned bits from the pan. Reduce wine by about half (2–3 minutes).

Simmer: Add chicken stock, thyme sprig and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce by about one-third, 8–10 minutes, until slightly syrupy. Remove thyme and bay leaf.

Finish: Whisk in remaining 1 tbs butter off the heat and optionally 1 tsp heavy cream for a glossy sheen. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If needed, strain through a fine sieve into a small saucepan and keep warm.

Plate warm: Arrange grilled broccolini on the plate, place carved half-chicken pieces alongside. Spoon warm chicken jus over the chicken and a small amount around the plate. Sprinkle chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.