Roast chicken with ultimate roasted potatoes

Nicole Maguire's roast chicken recipe. Photo / Jeremy Simons

Nicole Maguire, author of The Simple Dinner Edit, shares her favourite roast chicken recipe and reveals her tricks for the ‘ultimate’ roast spuds.

On the first day of my son starting school, I tenderly got myself home after dropping him off and immediately started preparing this meal for him to enjoy when he got home. In actual fact, it was more of an attempt to comfort myself. I don’t know how many chickens I roasted in the following weeks (lots!), but I do know that this roast chicken is one of our favourite meals to eat. You may have guessed that this is also one of our “core meals” (see page 11 to learn more). There is no marinating of the chicken required, no stuffing anything under skin, and no other intimidating preparation before you can get this dish in the oven. The oven does all the hard work. The chicken is served with the ultimate roasted potatoes and a rich, nourishing, vegetable-filled gravy. The chicken and potatoes can be cooked simultaneously in the oven.

Roast chicken with ultimate roasted potatoes recipe

Serves 4

Prep time 20 minutes

Cooking time 1 hour 45 minutes

Roasted potatoes ingredients

• 1.2 kg potatoes (any variety), peeled and quartered (in eighths if large)
• 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
• 2 tbsp plain flour (this is the key to crispy potatoes!)
• 2 tsp sea salt flakes, plus extra to serve

Roasting vegetables ingredients

• 2 carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
• 2 brown or red onions, cut in half (or quarters if large)
• 1 whole garlic bulb, halved horizontally (leave the skin on)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Chicken ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (1.2–1.8kg)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp dried herbs of choice (thyme or oregano work well)
• 1 tsp chicken stock powder (or sea salt flakes)
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 thick slices of lemon
• Cooking twine (optional, see Note)

Gravy ingredients

• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock

To serve

• Steamed green beans
• Thyme or oregano leaves (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced. Preheat a large baking tray in the oven (it needs to be wide and deep enough to fit the potatoes without them overlapping).
2. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover them with water (ensure there isn’t too much water; the potatoes should be just submerged). Bring to the boil. Once the water starts to boil rapidly, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 2 minutes.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, add the olive oil to the preheated baking tray in the oven (leave the tray in the oven so that the olive oil warms).
4. Drain the potatoes in a colander and shake them around to rough up the edges. Sprinkle the flour over the potatoes and stir to coat (the potatoes may break up a little, which is okay). Add the potatoes to the baking tray (the oil will be hot and will splatter, so be careful). Toss the potatoes, so they are evenly coated in the oil. Add the salt.
5. Meanwhile, place the carrot, onion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper on a large deep baking tray. Toss to coat. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and pat dry with paper towel (this helps to crisp up the skin).
6. Drizzle the chicken with the olive oil and sprinkle with the paprika, dried herbs, chicken stock powder (or salt) and pepper. Use your hands to rub the spice mixture all over the chicken evenly. Stuff the two lemon slices into the cavity of the chicken and tie the legs together with the twine (if using, see Note).
7. Place the chicken on the top rack of your oven and the potatoes on the bottom rack.
8. Roast the potatoes for 1-and-a-half hours, turning them every 30 minutes.
9. Roast the chicken, uncovered, for 45 minutes, then add 125ml (half a cup) water and shuffle the vegetables and chicken around to stop the vegetables from burning. Bake for a further 45 minutes.
10. Remove the roasted potatoes and chicken from the oven.
11. Sprinkle the roasted potatoes with the extra salt.
12. Set the chicken aside, loosely covered with foil, for at least 10 minutes to ensure it is succulent and soft. Leave the vegetables in the tray for the gravy.
13. For the gravy, place the baking tray with the vegetables on the stovetop over medium-high heat. If you don’t have a baking tray compatible with your stovetop, transfer the vegetables and pan drippings to a large frying pan instead. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute until a paste forms. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 2-3 minutes, occasionally stirring, until the gravy thickens. If the gravy is too thick, you can slowly add some water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you achieve your desired consistency.
14. Strain the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a serving jug, pushing as much vegetable mix as possible through the sieve to create a thick gravy.
15. Serve the chicken, roasted potatoes and gravy with the steamed green beans and a sprinkling of thyme or oregano leaves (if using).

Notes

For a quick dinner, trussing with twine isn’t necessary. The idea behind trussing is that the twine assists in sealing in juices and allows the chicken to cook more evenly. I have made this recipe hundreds of times and, other than for the sake of presentation, there is never any significant difference in flavour, so feel free to skip this step.

Leftovers

Refrigerate leftover chicken and gravy for up to 3 days. Refrigerate left-over potatoes for up to 3 days and reheat them in the oven to retain their crunch.

Make ahead

Marinate and refrigerate the chicken for up to 48 hours before cooking. The potatoes can also be peeled and cut, submerged in cold tap water and refrigerated for up to 24 hours prior to cooking. When ready to use, drain the potatoes and use them as per the recipe.

Cook once, eat twice:

Leftover chicken: Use left-over chicken in school lunch box sandwiches, salads, Peri-peri Chicken Burgers or in rice paper rolls. [All recipes can be found in in The Simple Dinner Edit]

Leftover bones: Keep leftover bones from the chicken to make a bone broth. Place the bones in a large pot along with 4 carrots, cut into 5 cm lengths; 2 onions, quartered; 4 celery stalks (leaves included); 4 litres water (or enough to cover the chicken bones and vegetables); 3 teaspoons sea salt flakes; and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Simmer, covered, for at least 3-4 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Use as a base for soups, stews and pastas. High in collagen, the broth will become gelatinous in the fridge but will liquefy when reheated.

Nicole Maguire is the author of The Simple Dinner Edit. Photo / Jeremy Simons

Edited extract from The Simple Dinner Edit by Nicole Maguire, $44.99, published by MacMillan.