Guest Recipe: Lemon & Thyme Roast Chicken with Creamy Parmesan Bean Gratin
A roast Sutton Hoo Chicken with gravy and roasted potatoes is a classic, but come Spring and Summer it’s time to go a little lighter. This fabulous recipe by Joey and Katy Cook who specialise in local, seasonal and vegcentric cooking pairs lemon, thyme & garlic roasted chicken with Italian-inspired accompaniments.
The creamy parmesan & white bean gratin offers incredibly powerful flavours and a very indulgent, comforting texture while the zingy lemon & basil pesto cuts through the richness of the dish wonderfully.
INGREDIENTS For the roast chicken
1 Sutton Hoo chicken
1 onion
1 lemon
1 head garlic
1 handful thyme
100g butter
2 tsp flakey sea salt
Ingredients for the Creamy, parmesan beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small knob butter
2 onions
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
2 tins drained haricot beans
½ cup double cream
½ cup water
2 heaped tbsp cream cheese
80 g parmesan cheese
flakey sea salt
8 tbsp sourdough breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chicken fat
4 anchovies
2 tbsp baby capers
1 large garlic
Ingredients for the basil pesto
25 g basil
12 g parsley
8 walnut halves
1 small clove garlic
1 lemon, juice only
6 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp flakey sea salt
Method for chicken
Preheat the oven to 350° f, or gas mark 4.
Pat the chicken dry, remove the giblets if needs be and save these for the stock.
Use your hands to smear the butter all over the chicken, then pop it into a suitably sized oven tray and season generously inside and out with flakey sea salt.
Peel and quarter the onion, halve the lemon, and cut the garlic bulb in half, then place these, along with the thyme, in and around the bird - the captivity, the neck, and tucked underneath.
Cook for 16 minutes per lbs (450g) plus an extra 20 minutes or until the juices run clear when the deepest part of the thigh is pierced with a thin skewer. Be sure to baste the chicken halfway through cooking, and always allow it to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Method for creamy parmesan beans
While the chicken is in the oven you have time to make the bean gratin. Start by finely dicing the onion and celery, and mincing the garlic.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Sauté the onion and celery very gently for 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir often.
After 10 minutes add the garlic and a generous pinch of sea salt and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, and add the drained beans and stir things gently.
In a separate saucepan combine the cream and milk and warm slowly over a medium/low heat. Once warm, stir through the cream cheese a spoonful at a time, followed by the parmesan, a handful at a time. Stir to incorporate. Once you have a smooth, creamy sauce, turn off the heat.
Pour your parmesan cream over your beans and transfer this into a gratin dish or ovenproof serving dish.
For the crumb, blitz stale or toasted sourdough in a small blender until you have coarse bread crumbs. Measure out 8 tablespoons and keep any excess in the freezer.
Finely chop the anchovies and capers and mince the garlic then combine these with your breadcrumbs. Open the oven and pinch 2 generous tablespoons of chicken fat from the roasting tray. Mix everything together well then scatter over your creamy beans.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and bubbling at the edges. Ideally, bake your gratin during the final 10 minutes of the chicken’s roasting time as this accounts for resting time too.
Method for pesto
Simply whizz all the ingredients for the pesto in a small blender. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needs be.
Serve everything at the table, in warmed bowls with some simple steamed greens of your choice, dressed with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
You can find more delicious recipes by Joey & Katy on their website here or follow them on Instagram for inspirational mouthwatering dishes @joeyandkatycook
Why not use this recipe to kick start a 3 meal challenge? Find out more here.