Crispy Roast chicken & seasonal veg

FREQUENCY:

2-3x per week

SERVES:

4-6 (with leftovers)

PREP/COOK TIME:

1 hour 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

For the chicken:

Whole chicken Lemon (half) Fresh thyme (or dried if you don’t have fresh) (handful)

Fresh rosemary (or dried if you don’t have fresh) (handful) Onions (2) Garlic cloves (4-5) Olive oil

For the gravy:

Chicken stock or bone broth (300ml) Plain flour (1 tbsp)

Other:

Loaf of crusty whole wheat bread (1-2 slides per person)

Your choice of seasonal veg (purple sprouting broccoli, spring greens, cauliflower, carrots or kale) (2 cupped hands per person).

VIDEO GUIDE:

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven.

  2. Add a glug of olive oil to the skin of your chicken and rub to cover the whole chicken.

  3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper as well as a generous helping of your herbs - you’re aiming to cover the whole bird with a thin layer.

  4. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with half a lemon and a handful of the fresh herbs if you have them.

  5. Quarter a couple of onions and peal your garlic cloves. Add these to the bottom of your roasting tray around the chicken so they will cook in the delicious juices.

  6. Place the tray in the oven according the the instructions on the chicken packaging and cook (approximately 30 minutes per kg, plus 15 minutes for good measure). The chicken is cooked when the juices from the thickest part of the thigh run clear when pierced with a skewer (if in doubt, cut the thigh away from the body to see if it’s cooked in the crevice). Once cooked, allow to rest for 15mins.

  7. While the chicken is roasting, peal and cut your veg to your preference. For choices like parsnips or carrots, you can add these to your roasting tray when there is around 30mins cooking time remaining for lovely, sweet roasted veg. For the other options, wait until the chicken is resting and lightly steam them for no more than 5mins, ensuring there is still a crunch to them.

  8. For the gravy, skim off most of the fat from the chicken tin and discard, leaving only a few tablespoons behind. Put the tin on the hob over a medium heat.

  9. Whisk in the flour and leave to bubble for a few minutes. Then slowly add your stock, letting it bubble for a minute between each addition, then boil for a few moments. Reduce the gravy down to your desired consistency. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, then taste and season.

  10. Pick out and discard the herbs, but save the delicious onions and garlic to serve with the chicken. Pour the gravy through a sieve into a warm jug or simply go straight onto the plate. Put the chicken on a large platter or in a large dish, surrounded with the potatoes, onions and garlic. Take to the table, carve the bird and dish up.

NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION:

Whole chicken is 20% protein and offers a complete amino acid profile. In other words, it provides your body with all the essential proteins which your body needs which will play a key role in increasing your strength and aiding recovery. Chicken is also relatively low in saturated fats compared with red meats so is a healthy option that can be eaten several times a week.

Whole wheat bread is a perfect source of carbohydrates which is your bodies preferred source of energy and essential for fuelling both your workouts and your recovery. Whole wheat has a low glycaemic index which means that your body breaks down and digests the complex sugars more slowly, avoiding dramatic peaks and troughs in your blood sugar levels which can lead to fatigue and your body storing excess sugars as fat.

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SUSTAINABILITY CREDENTIALS: