This roast chicken and asparagus meal has it all. Stuffing side and sauce. It is also delicious and will be a star hit for any dinner party, Sunday lunch or special occasion. Optional: add mushrooms in with the asparagus.
Roast Chicken with Asparagus
Yield:
4
Roast chicken, asparagus and a rich Hollandaise sauce make up this mouth-watering dish.
Ingredients
For the stuffing:
- 30g dried apricots
- 2 tbsp apple juice
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 4 oz coarse breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon thyme, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 oz hazelnuts, roasted and roughly chopped
- 3 rashers of bacon, rind removed and finely minced
- 7 oz chicken livers
For the Chicken:
- 30 garlic cloves
- 2 kg chicken
- 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
- 4 fl oz apple juice
- 9 fl oz chicken stock
For the Hollandaise Sauce
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup butter
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
For the Asparagus
- 25 oz asparagus
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- For the hollandaise:
- 375 ml verjuice
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 black peppercorns
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 4 egg yolks
- For the asparagus:
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp flakes of sea salt
- 700 g asparagus, woody ends trimmed
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
For the stuffing:
- Place the apricots into a bowl with the apple juice and place in a microwave on high for 1 minute or on a high heat on the hob, then set aside to steep.
- Place a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat with 2 tbsp of olive oil.
- Add the onions and fry until golden brown.
- Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for a further 3 - 4 minutes until the onions are dark brown. Do not let the garlic burn.
- Remove from the heat.
- In a separate bowl, add the breadcrumbs, thyme, parsley, hazelnuts and the apricot mixture. Add the onions and mix together well.
- You may need to add more olive oil to hold the breadcrumbs together.
- Place another frying pan on a high heat and add 1 tbsp of the olive oil.
- Fry the bacon until golden brown.
- Remove the bacon and dry the excess fat off with a piece of kitchen towel.
- Return the frying pan to the heat and add another 1 tbsp olive oil.
- Once hot, sear the chicken livers for a few seconds on each side.
- Remove from the heat and coarsely chop the liver.
- Add the bacon and livers to the stuffing mix and season to taste.
For the chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 420F (220C), gas mark 7.
- Fill the poultry cavity with the stuffing.
- Blanch the unpeeled garlic cloves in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain.
- Rub the chicken skin with the rosemary, olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover the breast of the chicken with foil and sit the chicken on a trivet in a shallow baking dish (about 5cm deep).
- Place on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 40 minutes.
- After 40 minutes, remove the foil and pour the apple juice and 4 fl oz of water over the chicken.
- Place the blanched olives in the bottom of the baking dish and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and place breast side down onto a warmed serving plate.
- Cover with foil and allow to rest for 25 minutes.
For the jus/gravy
- Pour all the juices from the baking dish into a small sauce pan and add the warmed chicken stock. Mix well.
- Pour into a serving jug and refrigerate, whilst the chicken is resting.
For the hollandaise (make last in order to serve immediately):
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, lemon juice, cold water, salt and pepper.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan, over a low heat.
- Gradually whisk the yolk mixture into the butter.
- Continue whisking over a low heat for 8 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
For the asparagus:
- Place a medium size saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil.
- Add the sugar, salt and asparagus and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until just tender.
- Set up a bowl of iced water, and once the asparagus is blanched, place quickly in the bowl.
- Drain when cool.
- Heat a grill plate and brush the asparagus with the 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- Season with a grind of freshly cracked pepper and then grill for 3 to 4 minutes. Place the asparagus on a plate and cover with a large spoonful of the hollandaise.
To Serve:
- Remove any fat that has risen to the top of the jus, and then warm.
- Carve the chicken, pour over the jus and serve with the asparagus and the hollandaise.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1389Total Fat: 92gSaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 728mgSodium: 791mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 102g
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Last Updated on April 21, 2023 by Carleen
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