Mob’s Chicken, ‘Nduja and Sourdough
An impressive, yet easy, dish this traybake roasts chicken atop sweet cherry tomatoes and spicy 'nduja, and is finished with crispy sourdough croutons and fresh basil.
From the book
Mob 6: Tasty 6-Ingredient Meals
115 ultra-tasty and fresh recipes all using just 6 ingredients.
Fuss-free lunches and dinners, easy desserts, and crowd-pleasing feasts.
Simple, easy dishes for levelling up your weeknight cooking.
Introduction
Something magic happens when the juices from the chicken saturate deep into the sourdough croutons in this dish, getting them all caramelised and intensely chicken-y. We’ve used a whole chicken here because it feels fancy for midweek but it still cooks in the same amount of time as chicken thighs.
Ingredients
| 1 | whole chicken (approx. 1.5kg) |
| 6 tbsp | 'nduja |
| 3 tbsp | extra virgin olive oil |
| 5 slices | sourdough, roughly torn into chunks |
| 300g | cherry tomatoes |
| 3 tbsp | crème fraîche |
| 5 sprigs | basil, leaves picked |
| salt and black pepper |
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
Use sharp scissors to cut down either side of the backbone (on the underside of the chicken) to remove it. Place the chicken on a baking tray. Push down on the point between the breasts until you hear a little crack to help flatten it. Pull the skin to release it from the meat slightly, then use your hand to distribute 2 tablespoons of ’nduja under the breast skin.
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven. Nestle the sourdough, cherry tomatoes and remaining 4 tablespoons of ’nduja around the chicken, tossing them to coat in the olive oil and juices. Return to the oven for 30 minutes. When the chicken skin is golden and crisp, and, when pierced, the juices run clear, transfer the chicken and croutons to a chopping board to rest.
Set the tray on the hob over a medium heat. Add 250ml of water to the tray and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the tomato and ’nduja from the base. Cook for 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly. Turn off the heat and stir through the crème fraîche.
Serve the chicken with the croutons and pour the sauce over everything. Garnish with basil and let everyone tuck in.
Tip: If you don’t feel confident spatchcocking a chicken, watch a YouTube video or swap for 8 skin-on chicken thighs.
