I was sat on my computer in my office this morning, and all I could hear was the sound of rain pouring down all around me outside.
It is at times like these that I want to stay inside all day. Stay warm, work warm, and eat warm. That last one got me thinking. What is a real Winter warming recipe that satisfies completely? I got to searching for a few great recipes from books and online, and I whittled them down to just one.
A beautifully roasted and succulent chicken is comfort food at its best. The black truffle jus with a nip of brandy adds a rich depth of flavour.
1 whole free range chicken, rinsed and dried
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) NOMU Roast Rub
Sea Salt and Black Pepper
2 onions, peeled and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 piece celery stick, roughly chopped
1 small bunch thyme
4 cloves garlic, bruised
2 bay leaves
Black truffle jus:
1 tbsp (15 ml) flour
¼ cup (60 ml) brandy
1 tsp (5 ml) Chicken stock
Stirred into 1 cup (250 ml) water
1 tsp (5 ml) black truffle oil
Preheat the oven to 200 ºC.
Rub the chicken with a little olive oil and season well with the NOMU Roast Rub, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Place the onions, carrots, celery, thyme, garlic and bay leaves into a roasting tray and position the chicken directly on top.
Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, and then reduce heat to 180 ºC and roast for a further 50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through completely.
Remove from the oven and place chicken onto carving board to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
BLACK TRUFFLE JUS
Place the roasting tray, together with all the roasted vegetables onto the stovetop over a moderate heat. Stir in the flour and fry gently to form a lightly golden paste.
Add the brandy and prepared chicken stock and stir. Simmer for a few minutes, stirring continuously, so that the mixture reduces slightly to a thickened jus. Be sure that you scrape all of the sticky bits from the tray, as this is where the flavour lies.
Lastly, stir in the truffle oil and then strain into a small gravy boat.
Serve with the roast chicken.
Roast chicken is always great, but the richness and depth of flavour in this particular recipe was what set it apart for me.
You can purchase the Nomu Roast Rub that seasons the chicken here. Alternatively, we have many more recipes, blogs and food & drink products elsewhere at Life Retreat.
We would love it if you could share this article, and comment with your favourite Winter recipes!
Casserole is always a winner for me. And soup goes without saying. Try ‘Game Soup’ , really hearty and warms you up in Winter
Thanks Quinton. Game soup is a bit of a favourite for me too. Thanks for your suggestion and keep reading.