Ingredients

Method

For the citrus butter, mix:
• 150 g butter, softened
• 6 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 4 T parsley, roughly chopped
• fennel fronds
• 1 orange, zested
• 1 lemon, zested (reserve the fruit for cooking the chicken)
• 1 grapefruit, zested (reserve the fruit for cooking the chicken)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the chicken:
• 1 Woolworths whole chicken with a butter brine-based blend
• 4 shallots, halved
• 1 bulb fennel, cut into wedges (reserve the fronds for the citrus butter)
• 1 cup Woolworths white balsamic condiment

Method

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Use your fingers to gently separate the chicken skin from the flesh, creating pockets for the citrus butter. Place knobs of butter under the skin, then gently massage to spread it onto the chicken. Halve the reserved lemon and place in the chicken’s cavity.

2. Place the shallots and fennel in a large roasting pan to create a bed for the chicken. Add the balsamic condiment and the juice of the reserved grapefruit, adding the fruit to the roasting pan.

3. Place the chicken on the vegetables, then roast for 45 minutes, rotating the dish halfway through cooking for even browning. Once the skin has browned, baste the chicken in the sauce every 15 minutes until completely cooked.

4. Remove the chicken from the oven and cover with foil, then rest for 30 minutes before carving. Serve with the pan juices, shallots and fennel.

Cook's note: For a light meal, serve this chicken with wilted greens or Tenderstem broccoli, but for a heartier helping, serve over mashed potatoes with the pan juices.

Find more citrus recipes here. 

Photograph: Jan Ras 
Production: Abigail Donnelly and Clement Pedro
Food assistant: Thalia Pillay