Thyme Butter Roast Chicken & Pumpkin Satini

Another recipe centred around a Seychellois condiment - satini zironmon (pumpkin) is a quick chutney made with a couple of simple ingredients. The flavour of the pumpkin shines through, with a very sutble heat and acidity coming from the squeeze of lemon and chilli.

This was one of the staple chutneys my mum made when I was growing up, I never loved it, but as you grow older, these nostalgic flavours rush back and transform into flavours you cherish and love. If you get yourself a good pumpkin, it really brings it to another level, avoid getting the creamier varieties like Delica, and stick to the crisper and wetter varieties, your average pumpkin will do, even butternut squash would work.

Here i’ve paired the chutney with a rich butter roasted chicken and a herb salad. The dish does a great job of filling in that Sunday cozy roast vibe, without weighing you down. The flavours are a medley of decadent as well as fresh and vibrant.

Serves: 2-4 

Prep/Cooking Time: 1hr- 1.5hrs

Ingredients: 

For the Chicken:

1 Small Whole Chicken (~1.2kg)

70g Salted Butter

6 Sprigs of Thyme 

For the Satini:

500g Pumpkin, peeled and diced into 2cm chunks

300ml Water

1 Brown Onion, peeled and finely diced 

1 Lemon 

1 tsp crushed chilli paste 

Olive oil, salt, pepper

For the herb salad: 

70g Mix of soft herbs (dill, basil, parsley, coriander, mint…) 

1 Lemon

Flakey Salt

Olive Oil

Method: 

1. Pat the chicken dry and bring it up to room temperature. Season generously with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to fan 180°C. 

2. Place the chicken into a baking tray with a drizzle of oil. Once the oven is hot, slide the chicken in and roast until cooked through, 45-50 minutes. 30 minutes in, add the butter and thyme, let the butter melt and baste the chicken, return in the oven and continue basting every 5 minutes, until cooked through. 

3. Meanwhile, place a frying pan onto medium heat with the pumpkin and water. Bring to the boil, place a lid on and cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. 

4. Once tender, add a drizzle of olive oil and place back onto medium-high heat. Once boiling, add the onions and cook until softened and the water has evaporated.

5. Remove from the heat and mash the pumpkin. Let it cool slightly and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. If you want it spicy, stir the crushed chillies through, set aside to cool. 

6. Pick the herbs and discard the stems. If they’re limp, place them into a bowl of ice water. 

7. Once the chicken is cooked, transfer to a board and let it reset for a couple of minutes before carving. Pour the buttery chicken juices into a small saucepan and bring to the boil for a couple of minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Taste and season with salt, if needed.

8. Serve the chicken with some pumpkin satini and some mixed herbs. Finish the herbs with a drizzle of oil, a wedge of lemon and a sprinkling of flaky salt. Drizzle over the chicken-y thyme butter.