Roast chicken with golden roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips and pan gravy

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 190°C fan/210°C conventional.

2. 2

   Prepare the chicken: pat the whole chicken dry inside and out with kitchen paper. Season the cavity with sea salt and black pepper. Halve the lemon and push the halves inside the cavity with two sprigs of fresh rosemary and three sprigs of fresh thyme. Gently loosen the skin over the breast and rub about 25 g unsalted butter and 15 ml olive oil under the skin; rub the remaining butter and 15 ml olive oil over the skin. Scatter the brown onion (quartered) and garlic cloves in the base of a roasting tin, place the chicken on a wire rack set in the tin, and tie the legs with kitchen string.

3. 3

   Put the chicken into the oven and roast for 40 minutes. This initial period allows the skin to begin crisping before you add the roast potatoes.

4. 4

   While the chicken roasts, peel the Maris Piper potatoes and cut into even 4 cm pieces. Put them in a saucepan of cold water with a generous pinch of sea salt, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the edges are soft but the centres still firm. Drain well in a colander and shake the colander to rough the edges — this helps make crisp roast potatoes.

5. 5

   Toss the drained potatoes with 30 ml olive oil, a pinch of sea salt, some black pepper and two sprigs of chopped fresh rosemary. Spread them on a baking tray in a single layer. After the chicken has had its 40 minutes, carefully place the tray of potatoes in the oven beside the chicken and continue roasting both for 60 minutes.

6. 6

   Peel the carrots and parsnips and cut into batons roughly the same thickness. Toss them with 15 ml olive oil, the remaining unsalted butter (about 10 g), a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Fifteen minutes after the potatoes went into the oven, add the carrots and parsnips to the baking tray (or use a second tray) and roast for 45 minutes so they finish at the same time as the chicken.

7. 7

   Check the chicken is cooked: pierce between thigh and breast and the juices should run clear, or the thickest part of the thigh should read 75°C on a meat thermometer. Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a board; tent loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes.

8. 8

   Make the gravy: pour the roasting tin juices into a saucepan, skim off excess fat (leave a little for flavour). Put the tin on a low heat on the hob to loosen the fond, then pour into the saucepan. Add 15 g plain flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking. Gradually add 500 ml chicken stock, whisking to a smooth sauce, then simmer for 5–7 minutes until glossy and thickened. Taste and season with sea salt and black pepper.

9. 9

   Carve the rested chicken, arrange the roast potatoes and roasted carrots and parsnips on a serving platter, spoon over the pan gravy and scatter with chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Tips

• Rub butter under the breast skin as directed — it protects the meat and gives glossy skin; don’t skip.
• Shake the parboiled potatoes in the colander to roughen edges — the more surface, the crispier the roasties.
• Use a meat thermometer and aim for 75°C in the thickest part of the thigh for a perfectly cooked bird.
• If you want extra-crisp potatoes, put them under the grill for 2–3 minutes at the end (watch closely).
• Make the gravy while the chicken rests; cover the bird loosely with foil so it stays warm without steaming.

Substitutions

• Maris Piper potatoes → King Edward potatoes, same weight and method

  Stays close

• unsalted butter → olive oil for roasting and a knob of butter just for glazing, same quantities

  Stays close

• plain flour → 2 tsp cornflour mixed with a little cold water, stir in at the end to thicken

  Noticeably different

• chicken stock → vegetable stock (500 ml) for a lighter, slightly different-flavoured gravy

  Noticeably different

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

820

Calories

47 g

Protein

76 g

Carbs

40 g

Fat

9 g

Fibre

10 g

Sugar

800 mg

Sodium

FAQ