Roasted Chicken with Béarnaise

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

800g small waxy potatoes (like kipfler, small desiree or Dutch cream)
6 cloves garlic, bruised
4 sprigs of thyme
1 whole chicken
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil 
2 large handfuls lovely fresh salad leaves of your choice 
Salt & pepper 

Béarnaise sauce 

5 tarragon sprigs, plus 1½ tbsp finely chopped tarragon leaves
180ml white wine vinegar 
3 black peppercorns
1 French shallot, chopped 
3 egg yolks
150g clarified butter*

Method

Remove chicken from the fridge 1 hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Place the chicken, potatoes, thyme and garlic into a roasting tray. Drizzle oil over everything and season with salt.  Roast in the oven for 1 hour turning the potatoes occasionally. Once cooked, rest for 20-30 minutes. 

While resting, make the béarnaise. For the reduction, place the tarragon sprigs, vinegar, peppercorns and shallot in a small saucepan, ensuring the tarragon is completely submerged. Bring to the boil and cook until reduced to 1–2 tablespoons of liquid. Strain and cool slightly. 

Place the vinegar reduction and egg yolks in a large heatproof bowl, place over a saucepan of gently simmering water and whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick, pale and creamy. Remove the bowl from the heat and, whisking continuously, slowly trickle in the butter. Occasionally place the bowl back over the simmering water to help the eggs and butter emulsify without scrambling. Continue to whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy. If the sauce is too thick, add 1–2 teaspoons of water. Season well with salt and add the chopped tarragon.

Serve chicken with potatoes, simply dressed salad leaves and a generous dollop of béarnaise sauce. 

*To clarify butter, melt the butter in a saucepan or microwave, then slowly pour it into a jug, leaving behind the white milk solids at the bottom. The clarified butter is ready to be used.