SOPHIE’S ROAST CHICKEN WITH GARLIC & ROSEMARY ROOT VEG

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

1 onion, roughly chopped; 1 garlic bulb, cloves separated; 1 free-range chicken (about 1.5kg); 5 tbsp olive oil; small pack rosemary sprigs; 4 parsnips and 5 carrots, chopped into chunks; 2 sweet potatoes, chopped into chunks; 1 tbsp plain flour and 500ml chicken stock

TO SERVE

½ Savoy cabbage, shredded and wilted plus roasted or mashed potatoes

METHOD

1. Heat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Spread the onion and half the garlic cloves around the base of a large roasting tin. Pick the tops off the rosemary sprigs and set them aside, then stuff the remaining stalks into the chicken cavity and sit it on top of the onions. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of the oil and season. Cover with foil and roast for 80 minutes, removing the foil for the last 20 minutes.

2. Once the chicken is in, put the vegetables in a second roasting tin along with the remaining garlic and rosemary tops. Drizzle with the remaining oil, season and put in the oven below the chicken for 60/70 minutes or until soft and lightly browned.

3. Check the chicken is cooked by piercing the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer – the juices should run clear; if not, give it 10 more minutes then test again. Carefully remove from the roasting tin and rest it on a board 15-20 minutes.

4. As the chicken rests, keep the vegetables warm and make the gravy. Put the roasting tin with the onions on a hob over a low heat, add the flour, mix well until it forms a paste, then pour in the stock, stirring constantly until thickened. Simmer for 5 minutes, then season to taste. Strain into a gravy boat or heatproof jug and serve with the chicken, vegetables, cabbage and roast potatoes.