The Dish: Franklin Becker's slow-roasted chicken

(CBS News) - Award-winning chef Franklin Becker is best-known for creating dishes that feature his signature bold use of flavors.

He's the executive chef of two Manhattan hotspots: Abe and Arthur's and Lexington Brass.

Six years ago, Becker was named a "New York Rising Star" by StarChefs.com, an honor reserved for those "able to see beyond the four walls of their own restaurant and are committed to fostering a culinary community by sharing their knowledge with fellow professionals."

Becker joined "CBS This Morning: Saturday" with his ultimate healthy dish: Slow-roasted Chicken with Provencale Herbs.

For Becker, cooking and health go hand-in-hand - but that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice the flavor. He uses some simple, fresh ingredients to create delicious dishes.

Besides the obvious heath-benefits, Franklin's interest in cooking and eating healthy meals was fueled by his being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when he was 27.

Franklin faces another health-related challenge: His eldest son, Sean, is on the autistic spectrum, and Franklin feels it's his duty to raise awareness and educate the public about autism. He is an organizer and co-founder of Autism Speaks to Wall Street, a "Celebrity Chefs Gala" that had its fifth one late last year, and this year alone has helped raise more than $1.6 million for Autism Speaks' research and advocacy initiatives.

Enjoy all our recipes!

RECIPES:

Slow-roasted Chicken with Herbs de Provence, Spices, Sauce Naturale and Grilled Scallions

Serves 8

• 4 lb. organic or air chilled chicken
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. dry lavender
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 1 orange, peeled and juiced
• 1 lemon, peeled and juiced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1 oz. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 oz. butter
• 1 cup chicken stock, reduced by 1/2
• 2 bunches scallions, simply grilled with olive oil, salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Rinse chicken and thoroughly dry cavity and skin. Season the bird on the outside and inside the cavity with paprika, salt and pepper. Rub the inside of the cavity and outside of the bird with olive oil and butter. Using the remaining ingredients, stuff them inside the cavity of the bird reserving the juices. Truss the chicken and slow roast on a roasting pan until golden brown and succulent. Strain the juices that collect in the pan and mix them with the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and adjust the acidity level with the juices. Serve with grilled scallions.

Seared Tuna Salad with Lemon-Olive Oil Dressing

Serves 8

• 24 oz. sushi grade yellowfin tuna loin, grilled
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. Dijon mustard
• 4 oz. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 oz. red watercress
• 1 bunch asparagus, peeled and blanched
• 3 oz. haricot vert, blanched
• 5 oz. fava beans, in pod, shucked and blanched
• 5 oz. English peas, in pod, shucked and blanched
• 1 oz. black nicoise olives, pitted and sliced
• 1 oz. black cerignola olives, pitted and sliced
• 1 lb. new potatoes, red, white and purple, boiled and cut in half
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, red and yellow, cut in half
• 3 oz. spring onions, quickly blanched
• 2 oz. white anchovy filet
• 12 quail eggs, hard boiled, peeled and halved

Method:

Cut the tuna into rectangular pieces, season with salt and pepper and 1 oz. of olive oil. Grill 'till rare and set aside. Slice when cool into 1/4 inch slices.

Toss all of the vegetables with salt and pepper separately in vinaigrette and arrange on a platter, exposing all the different colors and textures. Some tuna on the plate, some arranged on top. Garnish quail eggs and red watercress leaves.

For more of Becker's recipes, go to Page 2.

Whole Basted Cauliflower with Pistachios, Golden Raisin-white w/ Chocolate Emulsion and Piment de Espelette

Serves 4-6

• 2 lemons, juiced
• 2 gallons water, for boiling
• 2 head cauliflower
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons Valrhona white chocolate
• 1/2 teaspoon piment de espelette powder
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup pistachios, crushed roughly
• Maldon sea salt to taste

Method:

Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add lemon and cauliflower and cook for 5 min. Cool down in salted ice water.

Rehydrate the raisins in the vinegar over soft heat. Add the white chocolate and blend till smooth in a blender or vita prep. Add the chili powder and pulse. Once completely cool, we can begin the browning process. Heat the butter in the pan until light brown. Add the cauliflower (crown down), garlic and thyme and baste continuously till golden brown. It should take 5 minutes for the head to brown evenly. Remove from the butter, and spill half the butter over the cauliflower. Season with sea salt and drizzle the raisin emulsion over the head. Sprinkle pistachios liberally and serve.

Roasted Peanut Potatoes with Herbs and Garlic

• 2 lbs. peanut sized new potatoes
• 10 cloves garlic, smashed slightly
• 1 tbsp. dry herbs de provence
• 2 oz. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. piment de espelette
• Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together and roast in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Grilled Pineapple with Pink Peppercorns, Vanilla and Curry, Coconut Gel

For the Pineapple

• 1 pineapple, peeled and cut lengthwise into planks removing core
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. fresh vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. pink peppercorns
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Garnish with fresh mint and basil

Method: Grill the planks of pineapple for 30 seconds on each side. Dice into half-inch squares. Take the sugar, vanilla, curry, lemon and pink peppercorns and season the pineapple. The juices that remain are to be drizzled on the plate.

For the coconut gel

• 1 cup coconut water
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 sheets gelatin

Bloom gelatin in ice water. Set aside. Heat the remaining ingredients to a simmer and add gelatin. Transfer to a baking pan and allow to cool in refrigerator for 4 hours till set.

Arrange the pineapple chunks, coconut gel, pink peppercorns and syrup on the platter. Garnish with mint and basil. The dish is light, refreshing and brightly flavored.