Shared pleasures: Neil's Sunday chicken

Published: 00:02 GMT, 15 May 2022 | Updated: 00:02 GMT, 15 May 2022

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For a while at home, my husband Neil and I found ourselves having roast chicken every Sunday. But our roast chicken is delicious and this is a wonderfully simple way to cook it. It’s also a great way to use up any vegetables in the fridge.

SERVES 4

1 whole chicken, skin-on, cut into 8 pieces

olive oil

25g salted butter

3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 onions, peeled and quartered

3 celery sticks, cut into large chunks

1 bulb of garlic, smashed

a few rosemary sprigs

1 lemon, quartered

a handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stems chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper then set aside.
Heat a touch of oil and the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add the chicken skin-side downwards and sear for 10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Pour a good dash of olive oil into a large roasting dish. Add all the vegetables, including the smashed garlic bulb, season with salt and pepper, and add the rosemary sprigs and lemon quarters. Place the chicken on top.
Roast for 50 minutes, until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through, then allow to rest for 10 minutes and finish with the chopped parsley.
To serve, take the roasting dish to the table and allow everyone to help themselves.