serves
4-6
prep
15 minutes
cook
50 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4-6
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
50
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg whole chicken, removed from the fridge 1 hour before cooking
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch thyme
- 2 bulbs garlic, cut in half
- 6 pieces streaky bacon
- 4 knobs butter
Bread sauce
- 2½ cups milk
- 1 small onion, cut in half
- 1½ tsp four-spice (even amounts of white pepper, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg)
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 3 slices thick two-day-old sourdough, blitzed in a food processor to make breadcrumbs
- 25 g butter
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
- Pat the chicken dry, drizzle with a litttle oil and season with salt and pepper. Stuff two sprigs of the thyme into the cavity. Drizzle extra oil in a baking tray and make a nest with the remaining thyme and the garlic. In a criss-cross pattern, drape the bacon over the chicken.
- Place chicken on top of the garlic and thyme in the tray. Place a few knobs of butter over the chicken, cover with some baking paper and then bake in the oven for 50 minutes to an 1 hour, or until the juices run clear when the meat between the leg and breast runs clear, removing the paper about 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Rest for 15 minutes one done.
- While the chicken is cooking start the sauce. Bring the milk to the boil with the onion, spices and bay leaves. Turn the heat off and infuse for at least 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
- Strain the milk into a clean pot and return to simmer. Rain in the breadcrumbs a bit at a time and stir until a smooth sauce forms. Now add the butter and mustard. Squeeze out the flesh of one of the garlic halves under the chicken and stir into the sauce. Season with salt and serve with carved chicken.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
