Orange roast chicken with vegetables
Here’s a roast meal, cooked in one pan, that even makes its own gravy — the pan juices are so full of flavour that no other accompaniment is needed. Use a large roasting pan, so that the vegetables cook in a single layer.
2 oranges
4 garlic cloves
1 chicken (about 1.5 kg/3 lbs)
3 cinnamon sticks
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
2 cups diluted salt-reduced or homemade chicken stock or water
2 orange sweet potatoes
2 fresh ears of corn
2 red onions
1.Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Cut each orange into eight wedges and tuck half of them and an unpeeled garlic clove into the cavity of the chicken.
2.Place the cinnamon sticks, rosemary, bay leaf and remaining garlic in a large roasting pan and set the chicken on top. Pour half the stock or water into the pan. Place in the oven and roast for 1 hour, basting the chicken with the pan juices after 30 minutes.
3.Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 3–4 cm chunks. Cut each corn cob across into four pieces. Peel the onions and cut each into four wedges. Remove the pan from the oven and add the vegetables and remaining orange wedges, turning them in the pan juices to coat evenly.
4.Add the remaining stock or water to the pan and return to the oven to roast for a further 50–60 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are tender. Baste with the pan juices halfway through the roasting time.
5.Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a warmed serving dish. Lift out the vegetables with a slotted spoon and arrange around the chicken. Discard the cinnamon, rosemary, bay leaf and garlic cloves. Skim any excess fat from the juices and heat until boiling, then serve with the chicken.
Variations• For a dish that cooks in under 1 hour, replace the chicken with chicken quarters or Cornish hens, and cook all together with the vegetables. • If sweet potatoes are not available, use butternut squash.
Serves 4
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time about 2 hours
Each serving
75.5 g protein • 29 g fat of which 9 g saturates • 59 g carbohydrate • 11 g fibre • 820 Calories
