Quick roast Christmas chicken & sticky veg
We’ve used a few tricks to cut down on the oven cooking time, but the result is still a succulent, crispy-skinned centrepiece.
SERVES 6 8 PREP 30 mins plus resting and 24 hrs optional chilling COOK 1 hr MORE EFFORT
2.4kg whole chicken
1kg carrots, trimmed and halved lengthways (save the trimmings and peelings for the gravy, right) 750g parsnips, peeled and quartered lengthways (see tip below)
½ orange (you’ll use the other half
in the cabbage recipe on p36) 50g unsalted butter, softened 600g brussels sprouts, halved 1 tsp honey
1 Flip the chicken over so that it’s breast-side down with the backbone facing you. Using kitchen scissors, cut down both sides of the backbone, remove it and set aside to use in the gravy (right). Turn the chicken back over so it’s breast-side up, and push down firmly on the breastbone to flatten the bird. If you have time, season the chicken all over with salt, then cover and chill
for 24 hrs. Remove from the fridge 2 hrs before cooking.
2 Heat the oven to 210C/190C fan/ gas 61/2. Tip the carrots and parsnips into a shallow roasting tin. Squeeze some of the orange juice over the veg, then toss with half of the butter, plenty of black pepper and a little salt. Sit the chicken on top of the veg, then squeeze over the rest of the orange. Tear up the squeezed orange half and nestle it among the veg. Spread the rest of the butter all over the chicken and roast for 30 mins until starting to brown, then lift the chicken onto a board, toss the sprouts into the veg, drizzle over the honey and sit the chicken back on top. Roast for 15-20 mins until the skin is crisp and the meat is cooked through. Lift onto a board and leave to rest for 10-15 mins. Stir the veg and roast for 10 mins more until lightly caramelised and tender.
3 To serve, carve the chicken into 12 pieces (see tip, below), reserving the carving and resting juices to pour into the gravy. Arrange the chicken and veg on a platter, or on individual plates, and serve.
GOOD TO KNOW folate • ibre • vit c • 3 of 5-a-day • gluten free
PER SERVING (8) 594 kcals • fat 30g • saturates 10g • carbs 24g • sugars 17g • ibre 13g • protein 51g
• salt 0.6g