Chicken cooked in ciabatta

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Ingredients

For the fermented soya paste:
500 g soya beans
1 litre water
5 red chillies, sliced
5 garlic cloves, sliced
1 g sea salt
For the marinade, blend:
200 g soya paste
10 thyme sprigs
8 rosemary sprigs
1⁄2 t fennel seeds
1⁄2 t black pepper
1 t flaked salt
1⁄4 t fenugeek
For the ciabatta dough:
For the poolish:
255 g white bread flour
1⁄4 t yeast
1 cup water
For the final dough:
2 t yeast
3⁄4 cup lukewarm water, plus 2 T
225 g white bread flour
1 T salt
510 g poolish
For the chicken:
1 free-range whole chicken, deboned (without breaking the skin)
Flavoured olive oil, for basting
Fresh mixed herbs
Sea salt, to taste

Cooking Instructions

To make the fermented soya paste, soak the soya beans in the water for 12 hours. Rinse the beans and steam in the oven or over a saucepan for 45 minutes, then cool.

Place the beans in a sterilized jar, then add the remaining ingredients. Cover and allow to ferment for 2 weeks.

After 2 weeks, strain the beans, reserving some of the liquid. Blend using the liquid to make a paste. Return to a clean, sterilized jar and ferment for another week.

Tie the chicken up in a ball, ensuring the skin is intact. Rub with the marinade, then marinate for 3 hours.

To make the ciabatta dough, mix the poolish ingredients and allow to rise in a warm place for 12 hours.

To make the final dough, dissolve the yeast in the water, then add the final dough ingredients and the yeast mixture.

Knead the dough (it will be quite sticky), then set aside to prove for 1 hour in a warm place.

When ready, separate the dough into 2 pieces and place each piece in an oiled container, using the oil on your hands to avoid stretching the dough. Set aside for 30 minutes to prove.

Meanwhile, grill the chicken on the braai until charred and almost cooked.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place one piece of dough in a 25 cm cake ring on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, then place the chicken in the middle (remove the string). Cover the chicken with the remaining piece of dough. Top the dough with olive oil, herbs and sea salt. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the bread has risen and is golden.

Cook's tip: To make a quick version of this recipe, marinate the chicken using Woolworths’ Korean BBQ marinade instead of making the fermented soya bean paste.

Discover more recipes featuring chicken here.