ROAST CHICKEN WITH FENNEL AND OLIVES

The sunny weather has had us all in the mood for BBQS recently, but with a wet weekend forecast, I’m heading back into the kitchen for a roast dinner.

I love a proper roast with all the trimmings (yorkies, stuffing, buckets of gravy – yes please) but sometimes I fancy something a little lighter. This weekend, I’ll be roasting a chicken but instead of roast potatoes, I’m serving it with creamy, cheesy polenta.

Of course, no roast is complete (in my mind at least) without a dessert. Rhubarb is still in season and works wonderfully in this gorgeous crumble, with apples and a crunchy brown sugar topping. Serve this easy roast chicken with a side of creamy polenta. It’s deeply flavoured and aromatic thanks to garlic, thyme and fennel 6 tbsp olive oil

2 large fennel bulbs, cut into thin wedges

4 large garlic cloves, peeled and bashed

1½ kg whole chicken

1 lemon, halved

½ small bunch of thyme

2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes 100g pitted black olives

250g quick-cook polenta

70g grated Parmesan

1

Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/ gas 5. Toss 2 tbsp of the oil with the fennel and garlic, and spread out on a tray. Rub the chicken with a further 2 tbsp oil, push the lemon halves and thyme into the carcass and season the skin generously. Sit the chicken in the tin and roast for

1 hr, then stir the tomatoes and olives into the tin, season and return to the oven for 20-25 mins, or until the chicken is cooked through. To check, pierce the thigh with a skewer – the juices should run clear.

2

Cook the polenta following pack instructions, then stir through the remaining olive oil and Parmesan. Season to taste. Carve the chicken and serve with the tomato sauce and cheesy polenta.