ROAST CHICKEN WITH BOULANGERE POTATOES
SERVES 2, READY IN 1 HR 30 MINS
2 onions 3 cloves garlic 2 bay leaves salt and pepper 1 whole chicken (about 1.4–1.7kg) 3 tbsp olive oil 5 medium potatoes, cut into 5mm slices 3 tbsp butter handful of spinach leaves 1 chicken stock cube 10 cherry tomatoes ADD TO POTATOES IF YOU WANT:
½ tsp dried thyme / ½ tsp dried rosemary 2 rashers of bacon, chopped
1 Preheat the oven to 210ºC (fan 190°C/gas mark 6) and put on your kettle to boil. Prepare a 18–21cm ovenproof dish.
2 Finely slice one of the onions and crush two of the garlic cloves. Add them to a large baking tray along with the bay leaves. Pour in 250ml water and season generously with salt and pepper.
3 Place the chicken on top of the onion. Rub the skin with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4 Place the chicken in the middle of the oven for around 1 hour 20 minutes (for a 1.5kg bird). After 30 minutes, turn the bird over so it’s breast-side down, and after 1 hour flip it over again so it’s breast-side up. This ensures succulent meat and a nice crisp skin.
5 Finely slice the remaining onion and the final garlic clove. To begin layering the boulangère potatoes, spread a few slices of onion and garlic in the ovenproof dish. Dot 1 tablespoon butter over the top, and add a pinch of salt and pepper, a few leaves of spinach and a layer of potatoes. Then repeat the layering process, finishing with a layer of potatoes on the top.
6 Dissolve the stock cube in 150ml boiling water. Pour the stock on the potatoes. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top and bake in the oven for 1 hour.
7 With 10 minutes remaining, toss the cherry tomatoes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper and roast in a small ovenproof dish until the potatoes are ready.
8 When the chicken has cooked, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
9 Serve one breast, half the tomatoes and a quarter of the potatoes per person. Reserve all the leftovers and the chicken carcass for using with Chicken in Spring Greens, Tiph’s Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken and Leek and Orzo Pie.