Recipe: Mark Hannell's Signature Spring Chicken

He graced the Beverly kitchen during our Wild event over the winter, where the focus was on celebrating each chef’s unique style, plus the produce of the season.

Now Mark Hannell, the brains behind the hatted Reed House in Melbourne’s CBD, whose CV spans stints in kitchens such as Vue de monde, Bar Liberty and Three Blue Ducks, as well as London’s Ottolenghi, is sharing a new season take on the barbecued spatchcock, bread sauce and mushroom dish he brought guests back in July.

Mark’s philosophy is all about cooking up honest food done well, and, leaning on his roots, infusing dishes with a touch of British nostalgia. On the inspiration behind this recipe, he tells us: “We always have roast chicken with bread sauce on at Reed House. It's a house favourite, because who doesn't love a roast chook! We change it up with the seasons, and for spring the dish has got a garnish of asparagus, red mizuna – aka fancy rocket – and burnt butter.

“It’s a great one to share with some roasted potatoes and a nice bottle of light red or a funky orange wine.”

Mark’s Roasted Spring Chicken & Bread Sauce

Ingredients

For the chicken

1/2 whole chicken
1/2 bunch asparagus
25g burnt butter
10g rocket, or red mizuna if you can find it
20g fine salt
Juice of 1 lemon
10ml olive oil

The bread sauce
Makes 100g of sauce

70g bread, trimmed of its crust, then diced – tip: the bread should weigh in at 70g once diced
1/2 brown onion, sliced
200ml milk
25g cream
25g butter
10g olive oil

Method

The chicken
‍

• Whisk the fine salt into 500ml of cold water, place the chicken and leave to brine for at least 24 hours
• Remove the chicken from the wet brine, add some salt and 10g olive oil, and place in a pre-heated oven at 225 degrees.
• Roast for 25 minutes or until cooked through
• Blanch half of the asparagus in salted boiling water for 1 minute, then plunge into an ice bath. Cut into 1cm pieces once cooled.
• Cut the other half of the asparagus finely and mix with the rocket, lemon juice, splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
• Heat the bread sauce in a saucepan and spread on the bottom of the plate.
• Warm the burnt butter and drop the blanched asparagus into the butter.

The bread sauce
‍

• Sweat the onion off in the blend oil until softened, then add in the milk, butter and cream.
• Bring to an almost boil, then add in the diced bread and simmer until soft.
• Mix together with a spoon to break down the bread. There’s no need to blitz it – a little chunky consistency is nice.
• Season with salt and lemon juice to taste.

To serve
‍

• Place the roasted chicken onto the bread sauce
• Spoon the blanched asparagus and butter onto the chicken
• Garnish with the rocket or red mizuna and raw asparagus

Explore more of Mark’s food

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