Roast chicken with Caesar vegetables

Celebrate asparagus season with this spring chicken recipe drizzled with a zingy Caesar dressing. Serve with new potatoes for a real family feast

  • Prep:30 mins
    Cook:1 hrs 15 mins
  • Serves 4
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 760
  • fat 45g
  • saturates 11g
  • carbs 25g
  • sugars 8g
  • fibre 10g
  • protein 58g
  • salt 1.9g

Ingredients

  • 6 anchovy fillets
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 medium egg
  • 150ml vegetable oil
  • 15g Parmesan, finely grated
  • ¼ small pack tarragon, 1 tbsp finely chopped, the rest snipped off the stem to make small sprigs
  • 25g soft butter
  • 4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
  • 1½ kg whole free-range chicken
  • 200g fine-stemmed asparagus spears, ends snapped off if woody
  • 200g green beans, trimmed, halved and blanched for 2 mins
  • 170g frozen peas
  • ¼ baguette, cut into chunky croutons

Method

  1. To make the dressing, put the anchovies in a small bowl, add the vinegar, mustard, garlic and egg, then blitz with a stick blender until well mixed. Gradually add the oil in a thin stream until it thickens into a creamy dressing. Stir in the Parmesan, season and chill until ready to serve.

  2. For the chicken, heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Beat 1 tbsp chopped tarragon with the butter and anchovies, then rub it under the breast skin of the chicken. Rub any remainder all over the bird and roast for 1 hr until the chicken is golden and nearly cooked. After 1 hr, add the asparagus and beans to the roasting tin around the chicken. Cook for 12 mins, then scatter the peas over and cook for another 3 mins until the chicken is cooked through, the vegetables are tender and the peas are hot.

  3. Meanwhile, put the croutons on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 10 mins until golden and crisp.

  4. Scatter the chicken and vegetables with the croutons and tarragon sprigs, and spoon over a little dressing. Serve the rest of the dressing separately. 

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