Ingredients

Method

• 1 chicken
• 1/2 cup Thai green pesto
• 2 T chilli salt
• 6 egg whites
• 280 g cake flour
• 200 g coarse salt
For the salad, combine:
• 4 celery sticks, cut on a slant
• 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, roasted and roughly chopped

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the lemon halves inside the cavity of the chicken. Rub the entire bird with the pesto and sprinkle over the chilli salt.

Place the egg whites, cake flour and coarse salt in a bowl and combine well. Knead until a pliable dough forms then roll out to form a ½ cm-thick sheet. Centre the chicken on top of the sheet and wrap the dough around it, ensuring the edges are firmly sealed.

Transfer the chicken to a baking tray and bake for 1½ hours, or until the dough shell is crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and, when cool enough to handle, break open the shell and portion out the chicken. Distribute the salad among six small bowls and serve alongside the chicken pieces.

TASTE’s take:
A salted crust lends amazing succulence to the chicken in this dish, which is also superb done on the Weber.