Best Roast Chicken Recipe with Aromatic Cambodian Herb Butter and Stuffing

Our best roast chicken recipe is incredibly moist, flavoursome and fragrant thanks to a Cambodian herb butter and chicken stuffing made with yellow kroeung, an aromatic Khmer herb and spice paste pounded from fresh lemongrass, kaffir lime zest, galangal, turmeric, garlic, and shallots. Baby carrots, corn, potatoes, and shallots are cooked with the chicken for a fantastic Cambodian-inspired feast.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 45

Course: Main

Cuisine: Cambodian-inspired

Servings: people

Calories: 1139kcal

Author: Lara Dunston

Ingredients

1 whole chicken around 1-1.5 kg
3 slices stale sourdough bread
1 large carrot chopped in 1cm wide rounds
3 lemongrass stalks
8 kaffir lime leaves
12 baby potatoes
8-10 baby purple shallots
150 g baby carrots
200 g baby corn

Kroeung Chicken Stuffing

3 slices stale sourdough bread
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 baby purple shallots finely chopped
Yellow kroeung herb and spice paste
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1 egg

Kroeung Butter

100 g butter
2 tbsp yellow kroeung paste
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
Wash the whole chicken, pat it dry inside and out, sprinkle it liberally with salt, and set it aside.
Make the kroeung chicken stuffing by frying two garlics cloves and two baby purple shallots until the shallots and translucent, then combine in a bowl with three slices of stale sourdough bread chopped into small cubes, one tablespoon of yellow kroeung herb and spice paste, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a raw egg. Stuff the mixture into the cavity of the chicken.
Make the kroeung butter by combining 100 grams of butter with two tablespoons of yellow kroeung paste, and a pinch of salt and pinch of pepper, then carefully ease your fingers beneath the skin of the chicken breasts and push the kroeung butter beneath it, covering as much of the chicken as you can.
Chop the lemongrass stalks into thirds and bash with a pestle to release the aromas and flavours, and crush the kaffir lime leaves in your hands to do the same.
Drizzle a little olive oil onto the base of a roasting pan, then evenly space out the slices of carrot rounds, pop the lemongrass stalks in between them, spread the kaffir lime leaves on top of these then place the stale sourdough bread slices on top, and set your chicken atop all of that, ensuring everything beneath is covered by the chicken.
Evenly arrange the baby potatoes and baby shallots around the chicken, then roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken, turn the chicken over, and add the baby carrots and baby corn, arranging them amongst the potatoes and shallots. Roast for another 30 minutes, then test the chicken with a thermometer. If it’s at 75˚C, it’s ready. If it’s not, turn the chicken over again and return it to the oven for another ten minutes, and test it again.
Once your chicken is ready, remove it from the oven and rest it in a warm place for 15 minutes. Grate a little more kaffir lime zest onto the chicken and serve with the vegetables, spooning any pan juices over the chicken.

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