Ingredients

Serves 4

1 chicken (1.2kg)
1 lemon, cut into quarters
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Flaked salt
30 ml olive oil
1 bunch of mountain oregano, dried fennel or thyme


The salad
1 cup peas
120g Persian feta or goat’s cheese
2 cups baby spinach
2 bunches asparagus
1 small fennel bulb
¼ bunch dill
1 lemon
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper
Flaked seas salt
Pinch sumac


 

Method

Buy a good quality corn fed free range chicken, remove the wishbone and truss for best results. The flavour of the pan juice is far superior to an everyday chicken. For the best results cook the chicken in a Weber or straight on the bars of the BBQ. You can introduce the smoky flavours in a number of different ways but essentially, wood chips or small twigs from apple or bay leaf tree work brilliantly. Dried herbs such as oregano, thyme and rosemary also work a treat when applied to the recipe in the following way.
You will need a large white ceramic bowl, a wire rack that fits neatly into the bowl to hold the chicken and a cloche (dome shaped lid) to keep all that lovely smoke in and in contact with the chicken.

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Remove the wishbone from the chicken.  Stuff the chicken with the lemon, thyme and a couple of cloves of the garlic. Truss the chicken with kitchen string to hold its form. Preheat a medium roasting pan on the stove over a high heat, season the chicken with the salt and pour the olive oil into the pan. Brown the chicken lightly on all sides, starting with one leg, turning it over to brown the other leg, followed by the breast.  Turn the chicken onto its back and place it in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and baste with the pan juices, roast for a further 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Meanwhile heat a griddle pan or the BBQ, remove the spurs from the stalks of the asparagus, and pod the peas. Drizzle the asparagus with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place onto the BBQ or griddle plate and cook for 3-4 minutes or until it is lightly charred and golden brown. Set aside. Cook the peas briefly in a pot of boiling salted water, drain and run under cold water until cool, drain onto paper towel and set aside. Slice the fennel thinly and pick the dill into little sprigs and set aside. Zest the lemon and juice and place into a medium sized bowl, add the teaspoon of Dijon mustard and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil to create the vinaigrette, season with a generous twist of black pepper, a pinch of sumac and a pinch of flaked salt.
 
Remove the chicken from the pan and rest for 4-5 minutes.

To smoke the chicken, place the mountain oregano or dried herbs in the bottom of the bowl. Place the wire rack on top then place the chicken onto the wire rack. Using a blow touch or lighter, light the dried herbs in a number of places to start the smoke. Cover the chicken with the cloche. This will extinguish any small flames and trap the smoke from the smouldering herbs under the cloche, smoking the chicken. Leave for 4-5 minutes and then serve to the table. 

Toss the salad ingredients together with the vinaigrette crumble over the feta and serve with the chicken.

Note
You will know that the chicken it is cooked when you pierce the thigh with a roasting fork at the thickest part and the juices run clear.