Vertical Roasted Salsa Verde Chicken with Potatoes

This is one of those recipes where a single sauce does double duty — and absolutely earns it. A punchy, herby salsa verde works first as a marinade, soaking into the chicken overnight, then gets spooned over at the end as a vibrant finishing sauce. Roasting the bird vertically on a poultry roaster means heat circulates all the way around, giving you gloriously crispy skin from all angles while the potatoes below catch every bit of flavour that drips down. It's a proper centrepiece cook that's far easier than it looks.

Ingredients

For the Salsa Verde

• 1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 30g)
• 1 small bunch fresh basil (about 15g)
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 4 anchovy fillets (optional, but recommended)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 120ml extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Chicken and Potatoes

• 1 whole chicken, approximately 1.8kg
• 800g new potatoes or small waxy potatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary

Method

1. Make the salsa verde: blitz the parsley, basil, mint, garlic, capers, anchovies (if using), mustard and red wine vinegar together in a blender or food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until you have a loose, pourable sauce. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside roughly half the salsa verde in a separate bowl and refrigerate — this is your finishing sauce and must not touch the raw chicken.
2. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper. Rub the remaining half of the salsa verde all over the chicken, including under the skin of the breast where you can. Place in a dish, cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.
3. When you're ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Set up your rotisserie for indirect cooking at around 190°C.
4. Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed garlic and herbs. Spread them in a roasting tray or drip pan that will sit beneath the chicken on the rotisserie.
5. Mount the chicken on the vertical poultry roaster and position it above the potatoes in the rotisserie. The potatoes will catch the drips as the chicken cooks — don't skip this, it's the best bit.
6. Roast at 190°C for approximately 1 hour 20–30 minutes for a 1.8kg bird, until the skin is deeply golden and crispy all over. Check the potatoes halfway through and give them a stir if needed.
7. Use a meat thermometer to check the chicken is done: you're looking for 72–73°C at the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone). Remove from the heat and rest under a loose tent of aluminium foil for 10 minutes — carryover heat will bring it up to a safe 75°C while keeping the meat juicy.
8. While the chicken rests, take the reserved salsa verde out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
9. Carve the chicken and arrange alongside the potatoes. Spoon the reserved salsa verde generously over the top and serve immediately.

Originally published by Bull BBQ. Adapted for UK audiences by Cedar Kitchen in the Garden.