Roast chicken Recipe
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 1.5kg/3lb 5oz whole chicken
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 75g/2¾oz butter
- 150g/5oz asparagus, cut into 3cm/1¼in pieces
- 100g/3½oz fresh peas
- 1 shallot, finely sliced into rings
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
- Place the onions and carrots in a deep-sided roasting tin, then sit the chicken on top. Season the chicken all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then drizzle over the rapeseed oil. Pour 75ml/2½fl oz water into the tray.
- Roast for 1-1¼ hours, or until the chicken is cooked through. (The chicken is cooked if the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh meat. If the chicken is not cooked through, return to the oven for a further 10 minutes and check again.)
- Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside, covered, to rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, for the fricassée, bring half of the butter and 200ml/7fl oz water to the boil in a saucepan. Reduce the heat until the water is simmering, then add the asparagus, peas, shallot and marjoram. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the vegetables are all tender.
- Drain the vegetables, if necessary, and return to the pan. Stir in the remaining butter and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- To serve, carve the meat and place it on serving plates. Spoon the fricassée alongside.
