Summer Roast Chicken Dinner

175 min · Medium · Serves 1

750 kcal per serving · 48g protein

A gentler whole-bird roast: chicken steam-roasted over wine and stock so it can't dry out, crème-fraîche-crusted baby potatoes, and a silky green purée of spinach, peas and butter beans.

Ingredients

• Whole chicken (~1.6 kg) × 1
• Lemons × 1
• 2.5 g Fresh rosemary
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 25 ml White wine
• 85 ml Chicken stock
• 0.5 tbsp Olive oil
• 165 g Baby new potatoes
• 33 g Crème fraîche
• 7 g Butter
• 33 g Spinach
• 50 g Frozen peas
• 1 can Butter beans (canned)
• 33 ml Cream
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven

   

   Heat the oven to 180°C.

2. Tuck the halved lemons

   

   Tuck the halved lemons, rosemary and the separated garlic bulb cloves into the chicken's cavity and pour in the wine.

3. Sit the bird breast-side DOWN

   

   Sit the bird breast-side DOWN in a deep tray, pour the stock around it, rub the skin with oil, season, and seal the tray tightly with foil.

4. Steam-Roast

   

   Roast the sealed tray for 45 minutes — the bird steams in wine and stock and stays juicy.

5. Remove the foil

   

   Remove the foil, flip the chicken breast-side up, baste well — spoon the hot tray juices over the skin — and roast 20 minutes more until the skin is golden and the thigh juices run clear.

6. Rest it on a board

   

   Rest it on a board, keeping the tray juices.

7. Boil Potatoes

   

   While the bird roasts, boil the potatoes in a large pan of salted water until just tender — a knife should slide in easily — about 15 minutes, then drain well.

8. Crisp the Potatoes

   

   Turn the oven up to 200°C. Toss the potatoes with the crème fraîche, half the butter and plenty of salt in a roasting tray, and roast until blistered and golden, turning once, about 45 minutes.

9. Blitz the spinach

   

   Blitz the spinach, peas, butter beans, cream, the garlic cloves and a splash of the reserved stock in a blender until completely smooth; warm the purée through in a saucepan over low heat, season, and stir in the last of the butter.

10. Carve the chicken and serve

    

    Carve the chicken and serve over the purée with the potatoes, spooning over the tray juices.