To avoid drying out your roast chicken add finely chopped (or blended) mushrooms under the chicken skin, along with some butter. This will help retain moisture, making a dried out chook a thing of the past
Miguel’s top Mushie tips:
- Mushrooms are a natural seasoning, which means you don’t need to add lots of salt when you cook with them
- Cooked mushrooms have a meaty, umami-rich quality that makes any dish taste like it has been simmering for hours.
- Boost your mincemeat with extra flavour and nutrition by adding some blended mushrooms.
INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN
- 1 large chicken
- 20g unsalted butter, softened
- 400g Swiss Brown Mushrooms, quartered
- 3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
- 1 tsp Spanish smoky paprika
- 2 Portabella Mushrooms
STUFFING:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 fresh chorizo sausages, diced
- 4 medium Flat Mushrooms, chopped
- 4 spring onions, chopped
ROAST VEGETABLES*:
- 1 bunch baby beets, washed, halved (golden and purple)
- 1 bunch Dutch carrots, washed, trimmed (purple, yellow, orange)
- 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed
- 2 bulbs baby fennel, quartered
*Use these, or your favourite roast veggies!
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C (allow 30 minutes cooking per 500g of chicken).
2. Blend the butter, mushrooms and thyme in a food processor and season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Gently loosen the skin by pushing your fingers along the surface of the meat around the breast and thighs. Push the butter under the skin and work the butter as far down under the skin as possible.
4. Sprinkle the paprika over the skin and rub until evenly coated.
5. For the stuffing, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.
6. Add the chorizo, mushrooms and spring onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
7. Season to taste and remove from the heat.
8. Push one of the Portabella Mushrooms and chorizo mixture firmly into the cavity inside the chicken, creating pressure so they roast with the chicken juices.
9. Close up the cavity with the other Portabella Mushroom.
10. Chop the veggies and place into the base of a baking tray.
11. Season the veggies with lots of salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil and mix together using your hands.
12. Cook the veggies together with the chicken.
13. Remove from the oven and serve with stuffing and veggies.
Credits to: Miguel Maestre & Australian Mushroom
