Name: Sean Moran’s famous roast chicken with bread sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1.8 kg free-range chicken; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 cup (loosely packed) oregano leaves; 100 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1 lemon, halved, juiced, halves reserved; 1 tsp tomato paste; 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock; 250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine; 60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil; Steamed corn and wilted seasonal greens and vegetables, to serve; Brine; 100 gm fine cooking salt; 50 gm caster sugar; 4 juniper berries; ½ tsp each mustard seeds, fennel seads and black peppercorns; Bread sauce; 500 ml (2 cups) milk; 250 ml (1 cup) pouring cream; 1 onion, thinky sliced; 2 each cloves and bay leaves; 8 flat-leaf parsley stalks; ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg; 120 gm coarse fresh breadcrumbs; 50 gm unsalted butter, chopped

Sean Moran’s famous roast chicken with bread sauce

Leave your other roast chicken recipes at the door. This is the best recipe for the perfect roast chook.

Roast chicken bread sauce from Sean's in Bondi

Serves 4

Prep

30M

Cook

30M

Total

Nostalgia is the challenge for this homespun dish. To overcome it, chef Sean Moran seeks out the most wholesome, free-range chicken and best seasonal ingredients possible.

This impressive chook is all you need to impress your guests. Looking for some more roast centrepiece inspiration? Check out our best Christmas roasts here. And stick the landing with our best classic desserts.

Ingredients

1.8 kg free-range chicken

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cup (loosely packed) oregano leaves

100 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 lemon, halved, juiced, halves reserved

1 tsp tomato paste

500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock

250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine

60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil

Steamed corn and wilted seasonal greens and vegetables, to serve

Brine

100 gm fine cooking salt

50 gm caster sugar

4 juniper berries

½ tsp each mustard seeds, fennel seads and black peppercorns

Bread sauce

500 ml (2 cups) milk

250 ml (1 cup) pouring cream

1 onion, thinky sliced

2 each cloves and bay leaves

8 flat-leaf parsley stalks

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

120 gm coarse fresh breadcrumbs

50 gm unsalted butter, chopped

Method

1.For brine, place salt, sugar and spices with 2 litres water in a large saucepan over high heat and stir until salt and sugar dissolve (6 minutes). Remove from heat, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, stirring occasionally until brine is chilled (45 minutes). Submerge chicken in brine, weighing down with a plate if necessary. Refrigerate overnight.

2.Place garlic and oregano in a mortar and pound with a pestle until a paste forms. Transfer to a bowl with butter and lemon juice. Season to taste and mix well to combine.

3.Preheat oven to 200°C fan-forced. Remove chicken from brine (discard brine); drain and pat dry. Gently slide your fingers under the skin of the breast separating skin from the meat. Slide garlic and oregano butter under skin and stuff cavity of chicken with reserved lemon halves. Secure legs with kitchen string; place chicken in a roasting pan.

4.Place tomato paste, stock and wine in a bowl and whisk to combine; pour over chicken. Drizzle chicken with oil and season to taste. Roast until chicken is golden and juices run clear when thickest part of a thigh is pierced (1 hr 20 minutes); rest, loosely covered with foil, for 20 minutes before serving.

5.Meanwhile, for bread sauce, combine milk, cream, onion, spices, stalks and bay leaves in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until onion is soft (20 minutes). Strain through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan (discard solids). Bring to the boil and stir in breadcrumbs. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until crumbs soften. Season to taste; stir in butter until combined.

6.To serve, spoon bread sauce over base of serving plates. Carve chicken and place on top of sauce with steamed corn and wilted seasonal greens and vegetables, and drizzle with pan juices.

Sean Moran

Styling by Bernadette Smithies