Slow cooker roast chicken

Cooking a chicken in a slow cooker makes it very succulent and packed full of flavour. If you want to cook this ahead and then freeze it, carefully break the chicken into joints and pack them into freezer bags with a little gravy. You’ll need a large slow cooker for this.

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 5½ hrs EASY ❄

1 large onion, peeled and cut into thick slices

2 carrots, halved lengthways and chopped

1 small or medium chicken

2 tbsp butter, softened

1 bay leaf

1 Put the onion and carrot in the base of the stock pot to form a protective layer to sit the chicken on, and add 100ml boiling water. Gently ease the chicken skin away from the breast. Stir some salt and pepper into the butter and push the butter under the skin. Put the bay leaf in the cavity of the chicken and sit on top of the onion and carrot. 2 Cook on low for 5 hrs, then check that the chicken is cooked by wiggling the wing – it should feel very loose. Tip the chicken up so any liquid inside fows out, then cook on high for 30 mins. If the chicken isn’t cooked through after the initial time, cook for another hour, then turn the heat up. If you want the skin to be browned, grill it for a couple of minutes (make sure your slow cooker insert is fameproof if you keep it in the pot, or transfer it to a roasting tin).

3 There will be some gravy in the base of the dish with the veg, tip everything through a sieve and press the veg gently to make sure you get every last drop. Serve the veg on the side, if you like.

GOOD TO KNOW 1 of 5-a-day • gluten free PER SERVING 497 kcals • fat 30g • saturates 10g • carbs 7g • sugars 6g • fibre 2g • protein 49g • salt 0.5g