Maggie Beer says her Miele Moisture Plus oven has revolutionised the way she cooks. “For me, continuous improvement is the real essence of life … and being able to work with my Miele ovens, that innovation, has given me another edge.”

Discover Maggie’s secrets to the perfect family comfort food, the roast chook, created effortlessly with Miele.

Maggie Beer's chook roasted with garlic and verjuice

Ingredients

30 cloves garlic
1 lemon
1 x 2kg free-range chicken
3 sprigs rosemary, chopped
50ml Extra-Virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
125ml verjuice

Method

Place the unpeeled garlic in a solid steam tray, Steam 100°C for 4 minutes. Remove from the steam oven and set aside.

Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the cavity of the chicken, then add the rosemary. Mix olive oil with a good pinch of sea salt and pepper and massage into the skin of the bird. Sit the chook on the wire rack over a lined Multi-purpose tray.

Place into the oven and select Combination Mode and roast with the following settings: Stage 1: Fan Plus 180°C + 25 minutes + 85% moisture.

Remove the chicken from the oven, pour over verjuice and place the steamed garlic into the Multi-purpose tray, select Combination Mode and roast with the following settings: Stage 1: Fan Plus 210°C + 15-20 minutes + 50% moisture. This stage of cooking is mostly for browning, to ensure you do not overcook the chook, set the time for 20 minutes and check the chook after 10-15 minutes.

Remove the chook and place breast side down (the internal temperature should be 62°C) on the trivet to rest for 30 minutes (the internal temp should reach at least 65°C), covered loosely with foil. The resting time ensures even cooking of the chook and increases succulency. When carving, the flesh will be opaque and the juices run clear.

Carve the chook, then pour over the pan juices and serve accompanied by the roasted garlic.

Hints and tips

If the oven has the food probe, use a core temperature of 62°C instead of the 20 minute duration at step 4.

Selecting a chook for roasting: “Of course for me I always prefer one of Saskia’s well brought up chooks but when not available it’s important that I have a chook that’s been reared on a totally vegetarian diet. The legume, wheat and corn mix the chooks feed on results in such a profound difference in flavour from that of chooks fed on protein derived from fish- and meat meal. There is no doubt that the corn in the diet results in greater amounts of fat under the skin and a lot more marbling than other diets – but what flavour it produces.” Maggie