Shared pleasures: Neil's Sunday chicken
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.