Spring vegetable roast chicken

I don't think I'm alone in saying roast chicken is probably my favourite meal. It's rarely a good idea to mess around with something so well loved. For this recipe I simply roast all the vegetables in the same tin as the chicken so the flavours have a proper chance to get to know each other.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6.

Step 2

Place the potatoes in a roasting tin with the fennel, carrots, garlic and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss together to mix.

Step 3

Remove and discard any excess fat from the cavity of the chicken, then place on top of the vegetables in the tin, season inside the cavity with salt and pepper and add the sage leaves. Squeeze half a lemon into the chicken cavity, then place the squeezed lemon half inside the cavity. Squeeze the remaining half lemon over the chicken and vegetables, then cut the squeezed lemon half into chunks and add to the vegetables.

Step 4

Place in the oven and cook for 1-2 hours or until the legs feel loose when you gently tug them and the juices run clear when you insert a skewer into the chicken just below the thigh.

Step 5

Tip the juice into a gravy jug and skim off any fat. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes, covered in foil and in a warm place, then carve and place on plates with the roasted vegetables.