Roast chicken with Peruvian passionfruit sauce

Ingredients (Serves 4)
Brine

• 1.5 L water
• 90 g (5 tbsp) un-iodised table salt
• 1 large (1.8 kg) free-range chicken

Marinade

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dry oregano
• 2 tsp sugar

Sauce

• 4 passionfruit
• 1 large yellow capsicum
• 1 or 2 long hot red chillis
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ bunch coriander (roots and bottom half of stems, reserve leaves to serve)
• 1 extra passionfruit, to serve
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

To make brine, place salt and water in a pot on high heat and stir until the salt is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Using a sharp serrated knife or kitchen scissors, cut the chicken through the back bone and press it down flat in a deep baking dish, skin side down. Pour over the cold brine until the chicken is mostly covered, cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to cook your chicken, preheat the oven to 160°C then combine the marinade ingredients. Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse under cold water and pat dry. Discard brine. Gently pair the skin away from the breasts and place ⅓ of the marinade under the skin. Place chicken skin side up in a baking dish and coat the skin with remaining marinade. Cover loosely with foil and roast in a low oven (170°C) for 30 minutes, then remove foil and turn up the heat to 230°C and roast for a further 15 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crunchy. Set aside to rest, leaving the oven hot.

Halve the passionfruit and scoop out the seeds and flesh into a measuring jug, then add just enough water to make 150 millilitres. Pour into a blender and, using a quick pulse, blend for a few seconds (be careful not to over blend as the seeds will be hard to extract.) Then pass through a fine plastic sieve (metal can sometimes react with the acidity of the passionfruit) using the back of a spoon to push the juice through. Discard seeds and reserve juice.

Place capsicum and chillies on a lined baking tray and into the 230°C oven to blacken; alternatively, you can blacken the skins over a gas flame. Once blackened, place in a bowl and wrap tightly with cling film to steam – this will help loosen the skin and make for easy peeling. Peel, then place the capsicum and chilli flesh in a blender, along with passionfruit juice and olive oil. Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the blender and stir in very finely chopped coriander roots and stems, and season. Place the sauce in a serving bowl and top with the flesh and seeds of the remaining passionfruit. Sprinkle coriander leaves over the roast chicken and serve the sauce alongside.

Recipe by: Sammy & Bella.