Shared pleasures: Neil’s Sunday chicken 

by

Shared pleasures: Neil’s Sunday chicken

By Angela Hartnett

Published: | Updated:

For a while at home, my husband Neil and I found ourselves having roast chicken every Sunday. But our roast chicken is delicious and this is a wonderfully simple way to cook it. It’s also a great way to use up any vegetables in the fridge.

SERVES 4

1 whole chicken, skin-on, cut into 8 pieces

olive oil

25g salted butter

3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 onions, peeled and quartered

3 celery sticks, cut into large chunks

1 bulb of garlic, smashed

a few rosemary sprigs

1 lemon, quartered

a handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stems chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
  • Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper then set aside.
  • Heat a touch of oil and the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add the chicken skin-side downwards and sear for 10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
  • Pour a good dash of olive oil into a large roasting dish. Add all the vegetables, including the smashed garlic bulb, season with salt and pepper, and add the rosemary sprigs and lemon quarters. Place the chicken on top.
  • Roast for 50 minutes, until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through, then allow to rest for 10 minutes and finish with the chopped parsley.
  • To serve, take the roasting dish to the table and allow everyone to help themselves.