One-tray Spatchcocked Chicken and Herby Rice by Alexandra Dudley

Serves 4-6

Time: 1 hr 50 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 large chicken (approx 1.75kg), spatchcoked
• 2 fennel bulbs
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 unwaxed lemon
• 1 whole bulb garlic, cloves peeled
• 300g brown basmati rice
• 800ml chicken or veg stock
• 200ml dry white wine
  
• large bunch of dill (about 25g), leaves finely chopped
• bunch of mint (about 25g), leaves finely chopped
• Large bunch of parsley (about 50g), leaves finely chopped
• small bunch of basil (about 25g), leaves left whole

Method:

1. Remove the chicken from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C fan.
2. Remove the tough outer layer from the fennel bulbs, trim the base and any woody bits. Roughly slice into 1cm slices. 
3. Place the fennel slices in a deep roasting tray that is large enough to hold the rice and chicken. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt. Cook the fennel in the oven for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, using a serrated knife, work around the lemon, peeling away any rind, and pith into thick strips roughly 2cm wide. 
5. Once the fennel has been cooking for 15 minutes, add the peeled garlic cloves, lemon rind, and brown basmati rice to the roasting tray. Pour in the stock and wine, then give everything a cook stir. 
6. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and rub it into the skin. Season with salt. Rest the chicken on top of the rice, adding more salt to the skin. Cover the tray with foil and cook for 1 hour. 
7. After 1 hour, remove the foil and cook the chicken for a further 25 minutes. If you prefer the skin a little crispier, switch the oven to the grill setting for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
8. While the chicken finishes cooking, finely chop the dill, mint and parsley. I leave the basil leaves whole and allow them to wilt in, as spinach leaves would. They will lose some of the colour but none of the flavour. 
9. Remove the chicken from the roasting tray and place on a board to rest for 10-25 minutes. Add all the fresh herbs to the tray with the rice, add a good glug of olive oil and squeeze in the juice of the lemon. Give everything a good stir until all the herbs have incorporated into the rice and the basil has started to wilt. Scrape up all the bits of crispy rice from the edges of the tray. Taste to check seasoning and adjust as needed.
10. Carve the chicken on the board and transfer the meat to a serving plate. Transfer the rice to a serving bowl. Or just serve up from the kitchen. 

Recipe from 'Cooking Made Simple' by Alexandra Dudley. Will be available for purchase and signing at her cookery demo on April 1st. Or online here.