Roast chicken with herby harissa lentils

Calories per serving: 442 (with chicken skin removed)

Prep time: 10 minutes, plus resting time

Cook time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Serves 4

Flavour: that’s what you are getting here, in spades. The herby, spicy lentils bubble away in the juices as the bird roasts. Remove the chicken skin from your portion to minimise the calories and serve with steamed veg; savoy cabbage goes very well (100g cooked weight

= 17 calories).

INGREDIENTS

– 1 medium (1.5kg) chicken

– 1 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp for rubbing the chicken

– 1 large onion, sliced

– 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

– 200g dried puy lentils, rinsed

– 2 tbsp harissa paste

– 15g flat-leaf parsley, chopped

– 10g mint leaves, chopped, plus extra leaves to garnish

– 600ml chicken stock from a cube

– 1 lemon, halved

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.

Rub the chicken over with 1 tsp olive oil and season the skin well with salt and pepper.

Heat an ovenproof casserole dish on the hob and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Place the onion in the dish and sauté gently for 10 minutes, until nicely softened. Add the garlic and sauté for a further 2-3 minutes.

Add the lentils, stir well, then add the harissa paste, herbs and stock. Stir everything thoroughly to combine and season really well with salt and pepper.

Place the lemon halves at either end of the casserole, place the seasoned chicken in the middle and roast for 1 hour and 20 minutes. About two thirds of the way through, check the lentils and add about 300ml water to the dish if still very hard.

After this time, take the chicken out and check it’s cooked by piercing a thigh with a sharp knife to ensure the juices are running clear. If not, return the chicken to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and lift the chicken out of the dish (tip any juices from the cavity into the lentils). Place it on a carving board to rest for 15 minutes.

Remove the lemon halves and give the lentils a stir. Add more salt or pepper if needed.

Place the lentils in a large serving bowl, then carve up the chicken and place on top with mint leaves to garnish.