We have been keeping busy on the farm, we are lucky! I feel such enthusiasm from the number of people cooking at home from scratch! Let’s not forget the joy of a freshly baked bread or some muffins we made ourselves instead of buying from a service station.
Today I want you to lift your game yet again. My roast chicken meal will challenge you but the end result should convince you that cooking from scratch really is better!
Easter Roast Chicken with Lemon and Veggies
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins
- 1.4 kg free-range chicken, wings trimmed to first joint
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed to a paste
100g butter softened
1 bulb garlic, whole
2 lemons, halved
2 tsp sea salt
½ small pumpkin, cut into wedges with seeds removed and leave the skin on
2 white onions, peeled and quartered
12 baby carrots
Preheat oven to 180*C. Mix garlic into butter. Take scoops of butter in your fingers, and work it under the skin of the chicken, rubbing it between the flesh and the skin. Rub butter generously over skin also. Season with salt, place in the roasting tray with garlic and lemons, put into a hot oven. After 15 minutes, add carrots, onions and pumpkin wedges. Baste vegetables and chicken with roasting juices and cook for a further 30 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer chicken and veggies to serving dish. Allow chicken to rest while making gravy. Carve and serve with roasted vegetables and a Cos salad.
Lemon gravy
- 1 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 tbsp flour
- roasting juices from the chicken roasting pan
- juice of 1 lemon
- 300ml white wine
- 200ml water
- salt
- pepper
Transfer chicken and vegetables to serving dish and place roasting pan over medium-high heat. Make a beurre manié by mixing butter and flour together in a small bowl, to form a smooth paste. Add lemon juice and wine to the roasting dish and stir to deglaze. Add water, season with salt and pepper and stir gravy until it begins to bubble. Slowly whisk in dots of beurre manié, and cook until thickened. Pass the gravy through a sieve and serve.
Lettuce salad
1 head lettuce
½ bunch spring onions
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of ½ lime
Tear lettuce and combine with spring onion in a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.