Serving size: Serves 6
Cuisine type: Modern Australian
Cooking time: More than 1 hour
Course: Main
Favourite flavours: Chicken

Australian House & Garden recipe for free-range chicken with almond saffron stuffing.

INGREDIENTS

2.2-2.4kg free-range, corn-fed chicken
½ cup raw almonds
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
5 cloves Australian garlic, chopped
Good pinch saffron strands, soaked in 1 tbsp water for 1hr
2 tbsp salt flakes
1 lemon, halved
1 cup (50g) fresh sourdough breadcrumbs (coarse crumb)
130g butter, cubed, at room temperature
1/3 bunch parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 210°C (190°C fan). Place almonds on a baking tray and toast 10mins; remove from oven and lightly crush.

2 Sauté onion and garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil until softened over medium heat, add saffron and soaking liquid, and ½ tbsp salt flakes. Remove from heat and squeeze in juice from half of the lemon.

3 Using your hands, squeeze butter and bread together until well combined. Add parsley, nuts and onion mixture; mix well.

4 Pat chicken cavity dry with paper towel. Break the skin of each thigh crease from the inside of the chicken, then season each thigh crease with ½ tbsp salt flakes.

5 Stuff chicken with breadcrumb mixture and seal with remaining lemon half. Rub skin with remaining oil and salt flakes and season with pepper. Roast, basting occasionally, for 1hr or until juices run clear. Rest at least 30mins before carving. Serve pan juices on the side.