We bought a (free range) chickie! this week – we fancied a roast dinner, and chicken is the best value. We can make a chicken stretch a long way, and I’ll document it as we go.

We had a load of root veg in the fridge, so I decided to try something new. I cut up two parsnips, one swede, some carrots and a leek, and scattered them in the bottom of a roasting tray. Sprinkled with pepper, and added two mugfuls of water with Marigold bouillon (everybody should keep this in – it’s a great all purpose, vegetarian, low salt, stock powder).

Sat Johnnie Chicken on the top, and set to roast – he weighed 2.5 kilos and I did him for about 2.5 hours, I guess, at gas 5. In future, remember (as I didn’t) to cut the swede smaller than everything else or it won’t cook through.

I parboiled some potatoes in their skins, then drained them, and “roughed them up” in the saucepan. This softens the edges, and gives great crispy roasties when you .. roast them.  They were done in olive oil, with a sprig or two of rosemary in the roasting tray.  The spuds went in about 40 minutes before we wanted to eat, and the oven went up to gas 8 for the last 15 minutes while the chickie! came out to rest.

This means we removed the chicken from the veg, and put him in a dish for a little lie down – keeps the flesh moister if you do this.  The veg and stock were returned to the oven to continue cooking with the spuds.  Some sprouts were put on to simmer with black pepper and butter (just for a few minutes).

Then, while Pete hacked at carved the bird, I took a few spoonsful of the stock from the veg, and whisked it over the heat with a large knob of butter for gravy.  We fished out some veg to go with the chicken, carefully leaving the swede for later 🙂  It was all lovely, and I’ll cook a chicken like this again.

The remains of the veg will go for this week’s soup, as they are all gorgeous and chickeny.  The rest of the chicken? – wait and see!