I recently brought home a Dunnes Stores ‘‘Simply Better’’ corn-fed chicken which had been reared in Co Cavan. Amelda said it was the best she had ever tasted and that is high praise, indeed.

This recipe is guaranteed to give you the perfect roast chicken every time. Slow-roasting is a great way to keep the chicken nice and moist and adding the potatoes and new-season baby carrots infuses plenty of flavour too. It is hard to beat new potatoes with lots of butter.

One of my childhood memories is of my mother growing our own rhubarb. This recipe is perfect to make when rhubarb is plentiful and at its best.

ADVERTISEMENT

You can always chop and freeze rhubarb. It freezes very well. You could make this upside-down cake a day ahead, but I like to serve it warm with whipped cream. It makes a delicious afternoon tea.

Rhubarb upside-down cake

Serves four to six

125g (4 1/2oz) butter, softened

175g (6oz) caster sugar

3 eggs

175g (6oz) plain flour

pinch of salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Rhubarb:

450g (1lb) rhubarb, trimmed

50g (2oz) butter

50g (2oz) light brown sugar

Finely grated rind of 1 orange

Toasted flaked almonds, to decorate

Icing sugar, to dust

Lightly whipped cream, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark four). To prepare the rhubarb, cut the rhubarb at an angle, into 5cm (2in) slices. Melt the butter and brown sugar in an ovenproof frying pan dish that is about 23cm (9in) in diameter. Stir in the orange rind and remove from the heat. Cover the base of the pan with rhubarb.

2. To make the cake mixture, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for about five minutes until light and fluffy. Fold in one tablespoon of the flour, then gradually add the eggs, one at a time, while still beating until well combined. Sift the rest of the flour with the salt and baking powder into a separate bowl. Using a tablespoon, gently fold into the bowl with the egg mixture. Finally, fold in the milk and vanilla extract until evenly combined.

3. Spread the cake mixture over rhubarb with a spatula. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the cake mixture is firm to the touch. Allow the cake to cool in the dish for about 20 minutes. Then invert on to a large, flat plate. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and dust with icing sugar. Serve warm, cut into slices on plates, with a dollop of the whipped cream to the side.

Slow-roast chicken with baby carrots and new potatoes

Serves four to six

Butter, for greasing

1.6kg (3lb 9oz) whole chicken (trussed)

1kg (2 1/4lb) roasting potatoes, halved or quartered, if large

2 whole garlic heads, halved through the middle

100ml (3 1/2fl oz) dry white wine

100ml (3 1/2fl oz) chicken stock

2 fresh rosemary sprigs, broken into sprigs

6 bay leaves

1 lemon, cut into wedges

12 baby carrots, trimmed (new season)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C, (325°F/gas mark three). Smear a large roasting tin with butter and then smear some all over the skin of the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Put the chicken into the tin and arrange the potatoes around it. Put the halved garlic heads in the tin, pour over the wine and stock, then cover with tin foil and cook for one hour.

2. Remove the tin foil from the chicken and give the potatoes a good shake. Add the herbs and lemon wedges, then cook uncovered for another 40 minutes.

3. Increase the heat to 220°C (450°F/gas mark seven) and add the baby carrots, again giving everything a shake to ensure that the carrots get coated in the chicken juices. Remove the potatoes and chicken from the tin and cover the chicken loosely with foil and leave it to rest on a plate for at least 10 minutes before carving. Keep the carrots and potatoes warm. Arrange the chicken on warmed plates with the baby carrots and potatoes and spoon over the pan juices to serve.