Ingredients

Method

• 2 T olive oil
• 3 T butter
• 1 free-range chicken, spatchcocked (see how on p 102)
• salt, to taste
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 30 g sage
• 3 cups verjuice
• For the walnut bread sauce:
• 100 g walnuts, toasted
• 1 T lemon juice
• ½ t lemon zest
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 4 t olive oil
• 100 g breadcrumbs
• 4 T cream
• For the bacon pangrattato:
• 1 T olive oil
• 6 bacon rashers, finely chopped
• 12 green olives, pitted and finely chopped
• 150 g breadcrumbs
• 30 g Italian parsley

Method

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large cast-iron or ovenproof pan. Season the chicken with salt. Sear the chicken on both sides.

2. Turn the chicken breast-side up. Add the sage and verjuice and roast for 50 minutes.

3. To make the walnut bread sauce, blend all the ingredients until slightly chunky.

4. To make the pangrattato, heat the oil in a pan and fry the bacon until crispy. Add the olives and breadcrumbs and cook until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Toss in the parsley.

5. Sprinkle the pangrattato over the chicken and serve with the bread sauce and pan juices.

Cook's note: “This is definitely a winter Sunday lunch recipe. Serve with diced potatoes roasted with rosemary, or mashed potatoes. If you don’t have verjuice, use lemon juice and white balsamic vinegar, or a bottle of cider.”

Find more roast chicken recipe.

Photograph: Jan Ras
Food assistant: Bianca Strydom