There is nothing worse than a stressed-out cook. The food generally suffers. If I am having guests I go easy on myself and make something like the following recipe, which can be precooked and thoroughly reheated, and only needs a simple dish of green vegetables with it.
This recipe is part of Ray's mid-winter three-course dinner for six.
Ingredients
| 900 g | Agria potatoes (Main) |
| 2 cans | Chopped tomatoes, 400g each |
| 40 g | Pancetta, finely diced |
| 6 cloves | Garlic, finely chopped |
| 2 Tbsp | Brown sugar |
| 100 ml | Red wine |
| 3 Tbsp | Red wine vinegar |
| 1 pinch | Chilli flakes, a large one |
| 1 Tbsp | Dried oregano |
| 2 Tbsp | Capers |
| 3 Tbsp | Japanese soy sauce |
| 1 | Free-range organic chicken, size 14, I use Bostock brand (Main) |
| 6 | Silverbeet leaves, lower white stalks discarded, leaves sliced 2cm thick |
| 3 large | Curly kale, leaves, cut off the stalks, ripped into bite sized pieces (Main) |
| 1 cup | Edamame beans, frozen and shelled, thawed (Main) |
| 1 head | Broccoli, a large one, stem removed then peeled and thinly sliced, head cut into small florets (Main) |
| 4 Tbsp | Extra virgin olive oil |
| ½ large | Preserved lemons, use the peel only, finely diced; alternatively use the zest of a large lemon (Main) |
Directions
- Heat the oven to 200C.
- Boil the potatoes in plenty of salted water for 10-15 minutes or until almost tender, drain and reserve.
- Put the tomatoes, pancetta, 4 cloves of the garlic, the sugar, wine, vinegar, chilli flakes, oregano, capers and soy sauce in a bowl and mix until the sugar dissolves.
- Using kitchen shears, cut down each side of the chicken's backbone (discard this or freeze for stock), then cut through the breast cartilage. Open the chicken out flat and place it skin side up in a roasting dish.
- Pour the tomato mixture evenly over the chicken. Place the potatoes around the chicken. Place in the oven for 1 hour, basting occasionally, until the chicken is cooked (pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer or small knife, the juices should run clear) and the potatoes browned and tender.
- When the chicken is almost ready, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the silverbeet and kale and boil 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool under cold running water then drain well, squeeze dry then tease out the lumps.
- Boil the edamame beans in a saucepan of water for 2 minutes, add the broccoli, boil a further 2 minutes, drain and reserve.
- Heat a large frying pan over moderate heat and add the oil, silverbeet, kale, edamame beans, broccoli, remaining garlic and lemon peel or zest. Stir-fry for 5 minutes until everything is hot. Taste and season.
- Remove the chicken from the oven to a warm serving platter. Put the potatoes around it and pour the tomato mixture over the chicken. Serve the fried greens in a warm bowl on the side. Carve the chicken at the table.
More mid-winter dinner party ideas from Ray
- Spicy fish soup
- Whisky and marmalade croissant pudding with coconut cream