BY Gugulethu Tshabalala

Chef Lucia Mthiyane is a multi-talented creative who found success as an actress, singer, and chef. She is living proof of the adage to ‘be all you can ever be in whatever you choose to be and not create any self-imposed limitation’. Her delectable creations in the kitchen have found expression in a beautiful recipe book, Kitchen Queen, where she elevates everyday meals into masterpieces. 

I became a chef about 10 years ago. It was never a plan. I’ve always loved everything food. People in my life at that point encouraged me to start cooking classes and charge a fee, and the rest is history

People tend to take cooking too seriously. They read recipe books, follow instructions to the tee, and get disappointed when it doesn’t turn out the way it looks in the pictures. There is no right or wrong way of cooking, just enjoy the process and share it with your loved ones. After all, food brings people together.

I’m a Durban girl, and I lean more towards Indian cuisine. I love food that is packed with flavours and inspires meaningful conversations around the dinner table.

I’m also well travelled, and I try to recreate dishes that I enjoyed during my travels with our local cuisine.

I love a good chunky homemade garden salad with large pieces of feta and lots of avocado. I also love roasted vegetables and perfectly roasted chicken.

Personally, I love tucking into a leg of lamb cooked with apples. It was my late mom’s favourite dish and it reminds me of Xmas at home, family gatherings and home cooked Sunday lunches.

I host food and wine and bubbly events, that is where people come together to sample my cuisine. I advertise them on my socials.

Recipe: Roast Chicken 

Serves 6

1 whole chicken

4 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped

6 basil leaves, finely chopped 

8 cloves of garlic, crushed

10 ml sea salt 15 ml freshly ground black pepper

30 g butter, melted 

extra salt and pepper, to season 

kitchen string or twine, to truss. 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel.

3. Combine the rosemary, basil, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well. Use this mixture in the next step.

4. Take the chicken’s skin gently at the tip of the chicken breast, pull it slightly upward and carefully lift the skin. Then rub the herb mixture directly onto the meat under the skin.

5. Ensure that the skin is back in place and smoothed over.

6. Gently brush the melted butter all over the skin.

7. Season the skin on top with extra salt and pepper.

8. Tuck in the wings and truss the chicken with string (see tip below).

9. Place the chicken on a wire rack in a baking tin.

10. Roast in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes.

11. Reduce the heat and bake at 180 °C for another 30 to 40 minutes until the chicken is moist inside but the skin is roasted crispy on the outside.

Tip

When roasting a whole chicken, trussing the chicken is very important to allow it to cook evenly. Truss by snugly tucking the wings and legs of the chicken as close as possible to the rest of the body, and then tie it with kitchen string to keep it compact and in place.

You can complement this dish with any dry rosé wine alongside a refreshing beet salad.

Instagram: CHEFLUCIAMTHIYANE

Facebook:Lucia Nombulelo Mthiyane

X (Twitter): @LuciaMthiyane

Tik Tok: @luciamthiyane

IMAGES BY Hank Hatting & Skigraphy of Amarecipe.Africa