Now,there’s nothing wrong with a roast chicken roll. But we reckon the handbag can be dressed up as well as dressed down,making it less of a cheap accessory to carbs and cabbage,and more of a hero ingredient in a cheffy creation.
We asked four of Australia’s best chefs to turn their minds to this culinary conundrum. But we didn’t let them get too fancy. With many households looking for canny cost savings to help the weekly spend stretch further,we restricted our creative cooks to five extra ingredients plus access to pantry staples,and a little leeway for optional garnishes. The bachelor’s handbag is fine just as it is,but herewith we present the bedazzled roast chook.
- Preheat the oven to 200C fan-forced (220C conventional). In a large pan,heat the butter and oil over medium heat,then add onion and garlic and cook until they start to brown,about 8 minutes.
- Add the rice and cumin seeds,season with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes to toast the rice. Add the tomato and stock,and stir to coat the rice. Bring to a simmer then turn off the heat.
- Tip the rice into an enamel baking tray,peel zest from the lemon in strips and lay them over the rice. Place the cooked chicken pieces on top and crumble over the chilli. Cover with baking paper,then foil.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes,then uncover and bake for a further 5 minutes,until golden.
- Once cooked,place the dish over a high heat on the stovetop for about 3 minutes to crust the rice base. Squeeze over the lemon juice. Dollop on the yoghurt,if using,and scatter with herbs.
Serves4
Ayam masak merah
This is an easy way to turn a simple roast chicken into something hearty and spicy. Ayam masak merah is a typical Malay dish:the chicken is usually deep-fried but the recipe works really well with roast chicken,too. If you ordered a bucket of KFC and had some left over,this would be a great way to use it up.Junda Khoo,Ho Jiak,Sydney
Serves2-4
Roast chicken with herbed rice
We got back from soccer training a couple of nights ago and there was no dinner planned,so I looked in the fridge and made this. It’s not groundbreaking,but the flavours definitely work. You can’t go wrong with chicken,rice,tomatoes and herbs,and it’s so easy to throw together.Ben Greeno,executive chef at Merivale
Easy| 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- handful of grapes,halved
- handful of cherry tomatoes,halved
- soft herbs (coriander,parsley,chives,dill – whatever you feel like),roughly chopped
- 1 zucchini
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 200g pre-cooked rice
- 1 roast chicken,chopped into 8-12 pieces
- yoghurt,optional
METHOD
- Place the grapes,tomatoes and herbs in a large mixing bowl. Cut the zucchini into thin rounds and add to the bowl.
- Add the lemon zest and juice to the bowl,drizzle on the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the rice and add to bowl. Mix gently to combine.
- Transfer the herbed rice to a serving dish,place the chicken on top,sprinkle with any leftover herbs and serve with a bowl of yoghurt on the side,if you like.
Serves2-4
Roast chicken,leek and penne pasta
You could spend a long time roasting a chicken,making a stock,then bringing it all together into a luxurious pasta dish. Or you could take all the shortcuts and make this quick penne with a store-bought chook. Both versions are great! One thing you don’t want to skimp on,though,is the time you take sauteeing the leeks:you want them soft and sweet to make this dish as comforting as possible.Jerry Mai,Pho Nom,Melbourne
Easy| 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 400g penne
- vegetable oil
- 1 large leek,washed and cut into 1cm slices
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 400ml chicken stock (I use Knorr chicken powder and mix with hot water)
- 200ml thickened cream
- 400g roast chicken meat,shredded
- grated parmesan cheese to serve
METHOD
- Fill a medium pot with water,cover with a lid and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling,add the penne and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Place a large pan over high heat and add a splash of vegetable oil. Add leek to the pan and cook until the leek softens.
- Add the thyme and chicken stock to the pan and simmer until the leeks are very soft and the stock has reduced by half,about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the cream and simmer for another 5 minutes,then stir in the shredded chicken.
- Add the pasta to the pot,mixing to coat with the sauce. Serve in pasta bowls with a sprinkle of grated parmesan.
Serves 4
Australia’schicken love-affair
Chicken is by far the most popular meat in Australia but that wasn’t always the case. In 1950,chicken was the country’s least-consumed meat:the average person ate just 4.7 kilograms of chook a year,often at a precious Sunday roast.
In1976,chicken overtook pork consumption (13.6 kg per person per year,compared to 11.7 kg of pork). By1989,chicken consumption outpaced lamb (23 kg to 21.7 kg). And by2009,it officially ruled the roost,climbing to 35.6 kg,having accelerated past beef consumption of 32.7 kg.
Now,the average Australian eats 49 kg of chicken meat a year,more than 10 times the amount we consumed 70 years ago.