Celebrate the Australian summer with an invigorating recipe that will tantalise the taste buds of any Sunday dinner party goer.
To help bring back memories of a better time and, of course, to help create new ones, Australia’s leading wine brand Orlando are back and better than ever.
Renowned as one of the finest producers of quality wine in Australia, since the ’50s and ’60s, Orlando Wine has since sprouted into a household name. And, to help celebrate their relaunch, Orlando has presented Aussie wine lovers with The Legends range – five iconic wines that capture all that is great about Australian classics as well as introducing four next-generation New Heroes, the new guard in fine wine.
And, as we can all agree, nothing pairs seamlessly better with a bottle of wine than a weekend roast. Enter Guy Turland – internationally recognised Australian chef. Working closely with Orlando’s winemaker, Ben Thoman, the duo have paired two Australian classics for a reimagined, modern takeover.
Filled with enthusiasm and character, Guy Turland’s Roast Apricot Chicken recipe and Orlando Wine’s Cellar 13 Grenache are the perfect match, just made for Australia’s summer.
Duration: 2 hours | Difficulty: Medium | Servings: 5-7
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE ROAST CHICKEN
1 x 1.6kg whole chicken, cleaned
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 red onion, diced
1 stick of celery, diced
½ cup of dried apricots, chopped
5 cups of bread crumbs (ideally sourdough)
½ cup of parsley, chopped
Rind of 1 lemon
¾ cup chicken stock or water
2 tbsp of apricot preserve
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
FOR THE APRICOT JUS
5 garlic cloves (4 of them crushed, 1 of them minced)
2 tbsp unsalted butter (fridge temperature)
1 ½ tbsp of apricot preserve
1 shallot (minced)
⅓ cup of red wine vinegar
1 cup of dried apricots (sliced)
1 cup of roasted salted pistachios, whole or coarsely chopped (optional)
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 220°. Line a roasting pan with baking paper, and place a wire rack on top.
2. Rinse chicken (including cavity) under cold running water and pat-dry with paper towel. Then, to make your stuffing, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Add the red onion, garlic, celery and dried apricots to the pan and stir until the vegetables begin to soften.
3. Add the bread and parsley and cook until combined for a further two minutes. Next, add lemon rind, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper then transfer to a bowl and let the mixture cool completely.
4. Fill the chicken cavity with the stuffing, tie the legs together with twine. Place the chicken breast-side up on the roasting pan and tuck the wings underneath.
5. Brush both sides of chicken with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
6. To make the glaze, whisk 2 tablespoons of apricot preserve and vinegar together.
7. Place your chicken in the oven and roast for 1 hour or until juices run clear when chicken thigh is pierced with a skewer. Brush and baste your chicken with the apricot glaze every 15 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven stand and cover for another 10 minutes.
8. To make the apricot jus, place shallots and vinegar in a small pot over medium heat for eight minutes. Add 1 ½ tablespoon apricot preserve and the reserved pan drippings. Whisk together and bring to a simmer.
9. To finish, slowly add 2 tablespoons of cold apricot butter, whisking constantly, and remove from the heat once dissolved. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
10. Finally, carve chicken and serve with seasoned jus, sliced apricots and side salads.
Image via Orlando Wine website.
Orlando Wine Cellar 13 Grenache
The Cellar 13 is easily described as a modern Grenache – proving that old vines can learn new tricks. Complementing spiced chicken dishes, like Guy Turland’s summer Roast Apricot Chicken; thanks to the racy palate of vibrant red fruits and hints of rose water, this medium bodied wine will have a pleasant aroma on the nose with notes of raspberries and ripe cherry, a hint of stalky spice and an overall savoury complexity. Blended from vineyard plantings in the Rowland Flat, Krondorf and Light Pass sub-regions of the Barossa, this blend was harvested from March 2019 and bottled in September 2020.
Just like wine, nothing pairs better with chicken than potatoes. So, for your next Australian summer roast, why not try Sean Connolly’s BBQ Duck Fat Potatoes? And, to finish, this Banoffee Torta recipe by Fratelli Fresh will be the perfect way to cap the night off.
