Because family matters most

Pot-roasted chicken with strawberries

Strawberries make a surprisingly tasty addition to this comforting roast chicken dish
A simple meal of a whole chicken well-seasoned and roasted to golden, juicy perfection is truly hard to beat. The flavour is rich and earthy, and wonderfully succulent! The aroma of this dish as it roasts away in the oven is utterly divine and typically your family will want very little alongside of it apart from some rustic roasted vegetables or salad, and crusty bread. So for a cosy and comforting roasted chicken dinner, take inspiration from traditional beef pot roast and prepared this chicken pot roast with a whole tender roasted chicken, in a pot with lots of scrumptious juices to dip warm bread into. What a perfectly warming meal! The chicken pot roast is a classic “peasant-style” dish, one where a few very simple ingredients are cooked together in one vessel, their delectable flavours mingling together until all is cooked to rustic perfection.

SERVES 4, PREP TIME: 15MINS, COOK TIME: 50MIN, DIFFICULTY: EASY

 

INGREDIENTS

  • ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
  • 1.2kg chicken legs and thighs, skin on
  • 12 garlic cloves, halved
  • 5 shallots, peeled and halved lengthways
  • 3 cups (750ml) chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon
  • 1 tablespoon currants
  • 1 long red chilli, halved lengthways
  • 1 bunch tarragon, leaves picked
  • 1 tablespoon each coriander and fennel seeds
  • ¼ cup (35g) chopped unsalted macadamias
  • ¼ cup each mint and flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 60g spinach leaves
  • 125g strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced
  • Juice of ½ a lemon, plus lemon halves to serve

METHOD

1.    Preheat oven to 170°C.

2.    Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, deep, ovenproof frypan over medium-high heat. Season chicken and cook for 2 minutes each side or until browned. Remove and set aside.

3.    Add the garlic and shallot, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until eschalot has softened.

4.    Increase heat to high and add stock, preserved lemon, currants, chilli and half the tarragon. Bring to boil and return chicken. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoons oil and scatter over coriander and fennel. Transfer to oven and roast, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

5.    Place macadamias, mint, parsley, spinach leaves, strawberries, lemon juice and remaining tarragon in a bowl and toss.

6.    Arrange chicken and salad on a platter. Drizzle with oil and serve with lemon halves.