Grilled Whole Chicken with Charred Chilli, Wood Roasted Potato and Rosemary - Chef Recipe by Nicola Coccia

Ingredients

"It is so easy to grill a whole chicken, it's my favourite way to eat it. Most Australians just roast whole chicken in the oven, it can be boring. I love chicken with a spicy marinade and the flavours from the wood grill." ~ Nicola Coccia.

1 x 1.5kg free range chicken
1kg chat potatoes
4 long red chillies
4 sprigs rosemary
1 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt

Marinade:

2 Tbs dry Italian herbs
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp chilli powder
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt

Method

Chef's note: While grilling the chicken for this recipe, ensure you keep it covered with a large steel bowl or pot. This keeps the heat inside and prevents it from burning. If you don’t have a wood grill, you can roast the potatoes in an oven and cook the chicken on a hot barbeque.

Prepare a wood grill to very hot embers. Clean the chicken well and rinse under cold running water, then dry with paper towel. In a bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients together. To butterfly the chicken, using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut the chicken down the centre of its breast and open it out flat. Coat the chicken with the marinade, massaging it into the flesh. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

Chicken:

Place skin side down onto the grill and cover with a large steel bowl or pot. Cook for 15 minutes, rotate 90 degrees, and cook for a further 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over and repeat on the other side. To test if the chicken is cooked, wiggle one of the legs. If the meat begins to loosen from the bone, the chicken is ready. Remove from the heat and allow to rest under the bowl for 15 minutes.

Potatoes:

Coat with olive oil and sea salt, place onto a large sheet of foil, and wrap into a package. Place directly onto the coals and roast for 1 hour.

To Serve:

Coat the chillies and rosemary with olive oil and char on the grill for 3-5 minutes. Arrange the potatoes, rosemary, and chillies onto a serving platter. Place the chicken on top and finish with sea salt and wedges of fresh lemon.

Credits: Recipe as featured in Farm to Flame: Cooking without rules in the Bistro Officina kitchen (2018), the first cookbook from the twice-hatted Bowral restaurant. Click here to purchase.