Roast chicken vinaigrette

The flavours of this one-pot dish marry beautifully, with the vinaigrette a welcome, summery change from traditional gravy

  • Prep:20 mins
    Cook:2 hrs
  • Serves 4
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 962
  • fat 65g
  • saturates 28g
  • carbs 36g
  • sugars 9g
  • fibre 5g
  • protein 60g
  • salt 0.73g

Ingredients

  • 140g unsalted butter, softened
  • juice ½ lemon
  • small bunch sage, leaves only, roughly chopped
  • whole chicken, about 1.6kg/3lb 8oz
  • 1 head garlic, broken into cloves in the skins
  • 600g small potatoes, scrubbed, cut in half if large
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 red peppers halved and deseeded
  • 200g baby plum tomatoes, skin slashed with a knife
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 4 large courgettes, cut into large chunks
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mash the butter with the lemon juice, sage and some seasoning. Gently separate the skin from the chicken using your hand – start from the bottom of the breast, moving round to the legs, and be careful not to break the skin. Rub the butter underneath. Season the cavity and stuff with half the garlic cloves. Place the potatoes and a few of the remaining garlic cloves in the base of a large roasting tray, drizzle with half the olive oil and place the chicken on top.

  2. Fill each pepper half with a crushed garlic clove and a quarter of the plum tomatoes, drizzle with remaining olive oil and season. Place around the outside of the chicken and pour over the stock.

  3. Roast for 1 hr 50 mins or until the juices run clear. Add the courgettes after 1 hr, tossing them in the oil in the pan. Remove and allow to rest for 30 mins, then place the chicken and veg on a serving plate.

  4. Mix the mustard with the red wine vinegar, olive oil and seasoning. Skim any excess fat off the cooking juices and place in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat and whisk in the vinaigrette. Spoon over the chicken and vegetables, then serve.

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