THE BEST EVER ROAST CHICKEN

SERVES 8-10 Preparation: 20 min Soaking: 30 min Cooking: 1¼ hours

BRINE 125 ml (½ c) salt 125 ml (½ c) sugar 750 ml (3 c) water 4 bay leaves 6 garlic cloves, peeled

and bruised CHICKEN 2 whole chickens 60 ml (¼ c) soft butter freshly ground pepper SWEET POTATOES 12 small sweet

potatoes, peeled 45 ml (3 T) honey 45 ml (3 T) butter salt TO SERVE

30 g wild rocket Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease two large ovenproof dishes with nonstick spray. 1 Brine Mix all the ingredients well until the salt and sugar have dissolved. 2 Put both chickens in a large glass bowl or marinating dish. Pour the brine over and set aside for 30 minutes, turning the chickens often and submerging them to ensure the brine is absorbed. 3 Remove the chickens from the brine (keep the garlic and bay leaves) and rinse with clean water. Pat dry with paper towels. 4 Loosen the skin on the chicken breasts slightly and rub the butter under the skin. 5 Put the chickens in one of the prepared dishes and season all over with freshly ground pepper. Add the reserved garlic and bay leaves to the dish and cover with foil. 6 Sweet potatoes Arrange the sweet potatoes in the other ovenproof dish. Drizzle the honey over and dot with butter. Season with salt. 7 Put the chickens and sweet potatoes in the oven at the same time and roast for an hour. Remove the sweet potatoes as soon as the bottoms are soft and caramelised. 8 Remove the foil from the chicken, increase the oven temperature to 230 °C and roast for another 15 minutes or until golden brown. 9 To serve Garnish the chicken with the rocket and serve with the sweet potatoes.