Herb-Roasted Chicken with Charred Broccoli
El Colmado and Tertulia, NYC
Seamus Mullen takes the concept of waste reduction to a whole new level with this series of recipes that yields not one, not two, but three separate meals. First up, a roast chicken doused in an herbaceous marinade and served with impressive whole-charred broccoli heads. Leftovers become the base for a superior chicken salad, and the chicken bones are used in a consommé that works on its own, or as the foundation for a light, restorative soup. In fact, this recipe is so rewarding that Mullen recommends roasting an extra chicken to make sure there’s enough leftover meat to go around.
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
Chicken:
- 1 (2–3 pound) whole pastured chicken
- 1 tablespoon ground sumac
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Charred Broccoli
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large heads of broccoli, left whole and stems removed and set aside for pickling
- Chile flakes
- Sea salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 375°F
Make the marinade: in a food processor, combine the olive oil with the garlic, lemon zest, parsley, sage, and thyme and blitz until fully incorporated.
Prepare the chicken: in a glass or enamel roasting pan large enough to fit the entire chicken, smear the chicken with half of the olive oil mixture and season generously with sumac, sea salt, and pepper. Using butcher’s twine, truss the legs together and wings behind the back. Place the bird, breast-side up, and roast in the oven until the meat reads 155°F at the joint with a meat thermometer, about 35 to 45 minutes, depending upon the size of the bird.
Prepare the broccoli: in a large cast-iron pan, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Rub the heads of broccoli with the remaining olive oil–herb marinade, then season with chile flakes and salt to taste.
Using kitchen tongs and working with one head of broccoli at a time, cook the broccoli, turning until evenly charred all over. Repeat with the other head of broccoli. Turn off the heat, remove the broccoli from the pan, and cut into quarters. The broccoli should still be raw inside. Return quartered broccoli to the pan or transfer to a sheet pan if you need more space, place the pan in the oven above the chicken, and roast until broccoli is cooked through and tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Once chicken is cooked through, remove from oven and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes before carving. Serve with charred broccoli.
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From Waste Not: How to Get the Most from Your Food by The James Beard Foundation/Rizzoli Publishing.
Yield
4 servings
