The ultimate Sunday roast, this family favourite of chicken, veg and gravy can all be cooked in one tin. Allow yourself plenty of time to prepare the bird – 30 minutes should do it – while cooking takes around 1hr 20. Make sure there’s enough wine left for a glass or two for the cook!
Ingredients
- 1.4kg corn-fed chicken
- 2 lemons, halved
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 2 red onions peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 bunch of lemon or regular thyme
- 2 tsp coarse sea salt
- 2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1kg baby new potatoes, scrubbed
- 3 small or 2 large fennels, sliced
- 200ml white wine
- 450ml hot chicken stock
- 1 tbsp cornflour
Serves 4
Method
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 190⁰c C fan, 200⁰c conventional, Centre shelf, gas 5.
- Take the chicken and put one whole lemon (cut into half) and two cloves of garlic into the cavity with one red onion cut into wedges and a few sprigs of thyme
- Place the chicken in a large roasting tin and sprinkle with the salt and pepper
- Squeeze over the juice from the remaining lemon, push the garlic cloves between the chicken legs and under the neck skin
- Scatter over the thyme leaves and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and roast for 20 minutes
- Remove from the oven and add the remaining onions, potatoes, fennel, wine and chicken stock
- Cover and cook for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and turn over any vegetables that need it
- Cook for a further 15 minutes until the juices run clear when a knife is inserted in the chicken thigh. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a warmed serving platter
- Mix the cornflour with one tbsp of water to make a smooth paste
- Heat the roasting tin, with the gravy, directly on the cooker hob and stir in the cornflour
- Stir until the gravy is thickened and smooth. Serve the gravy alongside the chicken and vegetables