ROAST CHICKEN WITH FENNEL & OLIVES

Roast chicken with fennel & olives image

Serve this easy midweek roast with a side of creamy polenta. It's deeply flavoured and aromatic thanks to garlic, thyme and fennel

Provided by Esther Clark

Time 1h50m

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

6 tbsp olive oil
2 large fennel bulbs , cut into thin wedges
4 large garlic cloves , peeled and bashed
1 ½kg whole chicken
1 lemon , halved
½ small bunch of thyme
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
100g pitted black olives
250g quick-cook polenta
70g grated parmesan

Steps:

Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Toss 2 tbsp of the oil with the fennel and garlic and spread out on a tray. Rub the chicken with a further 2 tbsp oil, push the lemon halves and thyme into the carcass and season the skin generously. Sit the chicken in the tin and roast for 1 hr, then stir through the tomatoes and olives, season and return to the oven for 20-25 mins, or until the chicken is cooked through. To check, pierce the thigh with a skewer - the juices should run clear.
Cook the polenta following pack instructions, then stir through the remaining olive oil and parmesan and season to taste. Carve the chicken and serve with the tomato sauce and cheesy polenta.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 669 calories, Fat 44 grams fat, SaturatedFat 11 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 25 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 7 grams sugar, Fiber 7 grams fiber, Protein 41 grams protein, Sodium 1.9 milligram of sodium