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When spring is just a month old and everything’s in baby mode. You know, baby garlic, baby asparagus, baby leeks, even the chicken feels sprightly! This butterflied chicken is marinated in our pot-set Buffalo Yogurt, then roasted straight on a bed of aromatic rice until golden, tender, and irresistibly sticky. Served with a tumble of sweet spring greens, it’s chewy, crispy, and so deliciously tender with every bite. The yogurt marinade browns beautifully, adding a glorious touch to this one-pan spring feast.
1.5kg Free Range Chicken, butterflied
1 cup Vannella Cheese Buffalo Yogurt
1 Lemon, zest and juice
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling
Freshly ground Black Pepper
6 Garlic cloves, peeled and halved lengthways
1 Leek, cut to 10 cm lengths, sliced into 1 cm strips, rinsed well
½ bunch Fresh Oregano (about 4–5 stems), leaves picked
2 cups Long Grain Rice, rinsed
1 Tbsp Chicken Stock Powder
2 cups Water
A handful of seasonal spring vegetables like Broccolini, Asparagus, Peas.
Butter, salt, and pepper, to serve
Whisk the yogurt, lemon zest and juice, salt, mustard, olive oil, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken and rub the marinade into all the crevices. Cover and refrigerate overnight for maximum flavour.
Remove the chicken from the fridge 1 hour before cooking to bring to room temperature. For an extra lemony kick, tuck a few thin slices of lemon around the chicken before roasting.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Add the leek with a pinch of salt and sauté for 5 minutes until beginning to colour. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in oregano.
Add the rinsed rice and toss until coated in the aromatics. Stir through the stock powder, then pour in the water and turn off the heat.
Place the chicken skin-side up on top of the rice. Drizzle over any leftover marinade, brushing excess into the rice. Finish with a little extra olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.
Transfer to the oven and roast for 45 minutes, until the chicken is golden and the rice is tender with chewy edges. If cooking for a crowd, this method works beautifully with two chickens, simply double the rice and water. Rest the chicken in the pan.
Meanwhile, blanch the spring vegetables until just tender. Toss with butter, salt, and pepper.
Carve the chicken in the pan and serve with scoops of rice and plenty of greens. Drizzle with extra olive oil to finish.
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