One-pot roast chicken with miso, pak choi and spelt

A twist on a classic pot roast, this is infused with Asian flavours, from the umami of miso to the grassy freshness of pak choi. Serve it up on a Sunday for a deeply aromatic dinner to feed the family.

1 HOUR 10 MINUTES | SERVES 4 | EASY |

rapeseed oil 1 tbsp

whole chicken thighs 8

spring onions 6, trimmed and finely sliced

ginger 40g, grated

garlic 5 cloves, crushed

pearled spelt 225g, rinsed and drained

yellow miso paste 60g

fresh chicken stock 250ml

mirin 2 tbsp

rice wine vinegar 1 tbsp

pak choi 4, quartered

toasted sesame seeds 1 tsp

coriander leaves a small handful, roughly chopped

1 Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put the oil in a large casserole over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken and add to the hot pan, skin-side down – you might need to do this in batches. Sear for 5-6 minutes or until the skin is deeply golden. Carefully turn over the chicken and cook for a further 4 minutes. Remove from the pan and loosely cover.

2 Fry the spring onions, ginger and garlic in the casserole for a few minutes until fragrant. Stir in the spelt. Combine the miso with a splash of hot water in a small bowl or cup until loosened and then add along with the stock, mirin, rice wine vinegar and 250ml of just-boiled water. Bring to the boil, stirring to loosen any bits at the bottom of the dish.

3 Remove from the heat and return the chicken to the dish, skin-side up. Cover and transfer to the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, arrange the pak choi around the chicken, replace the lid and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes. Uncover the dish, push the pak choi a little under the chicken and cook for a further 5 minutes to help re-crisp the chicken skin. Serve scattered with the sesame seeds and coriander.

PER SERVING 514 kcals | fat 19.2G saturates 4.3G | carbs 45G | sugars 8.9G fibre 9.5G | protein 35.5G | salt 2.1G