Best Roast Chicken Roots Recipes

ROAST CHICKEN & ROOTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the chicken in a large roasting tin. Remove any trussing elastic and re-tie the chicken's legs with string, if you like. Rub the lemon juice into the chicken, then rub in 1 tbsp of the oil and sprinkle with the thyme and plenty of seasoning. Roast for 25 mins.
• Mix the squash, carrots, parnsips and onion in a bowl with the remaining oil, lemon zest and plenty of ground black pepper, and toss together well.
• Take the chicken out of the oven and put on a plate. Scatter the vegetables into the tin, nestling the garlic cloves underneath, then put the chicken on top. Return to the oven for a further 45 mins, turning the veg after 20 mins until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
• Take the chicken out and place on a warmed platter. Cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 mins. Cook the spinach in a saucepan with a drizzle of water, and season with black pepper. Scatter the vegetables around the chicken and serve with the spinach. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins and smear over the chicken, if you like.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON & ROSEMARY ROOTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the carrots, celeriac, swede, onions and garlic into a large roasting tin with the oil, rosemary leaves and a grinding of black pepper. Toss well and roast for 5-10 mins while you get the chicken ready.
• Grate the zest and squeeze the juice from the lemon, set aside and put the lemon shells and the woody stalks from the rosemary inside the chicken. Stir the veg, scatter over the lemon zest and drizzle over the juice, then sit the chicken on top of the veg and roast for 1-1 1/4 hrs until the chicken is tender but still moist. Take the chicken from the oven and leave to rest for 10 mins. Keep the veg in the oven and steam one of the bags of kale (if you're eating this over two days for the Healthy Diet Plan, otherwise steam both).
• Squeeze the garlic from the skins, carve the chicken and serve with the vegetables.

ROAST CHICKEN & ROOTS WITH LEMON & POPPY SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the chicken on a large baking tray, drizzle with 1 tsp oil and season well. Cook for 20 mins.
• Toss the veg in the remaining 2 tsp oil and some seasoning, scatter around the chicken and return to the oven for 30 mins.
• Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Heat the remaining 1 tsp oil in a pan, add the shallot and poppy seeds, and cook for 5 mins. Add the paprika, chicken stock, honey, lemon zest and juice, and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the soured cream and some seasoning, bubble for 2 mins, then add half the parsley and keep warm until the chicken is ready. Remove the chicken and veg from the oven, scatter with the remaining parsley and serve with the sauce.