First of all, thank you for the nice comments I have received about my Seafood Trails series. It was such a fun programme to make and I met a lot of great people.

This week two more healthy and easy-to-make recipes. A roast chicken is always enjoyable and lemon and rosemary work well with it. These days we hear a lot about imported chicken. I think it is very important to know where our food comes from and I recommend looking for the Bord Bia quality assured label. As you know, I am a great fan of corn-fed chicken and Cavan producers Carton Bros in Shercock are second to none. The Greek salad here adds a nice bit of interest and Simply Better do a very good barrel-aged feta cheese.

For the omelette, again I think it is worth looking for quality assured eggs, cheese and ham. Brady’s ham is always good. During 2018 I spent some time with Kevin Sheridan of Sheridan’s Cheesemongers, a man I respect hugely and love learning from. He introduced me to Drinagh in west Cork where we tasted their cheese four times as it matured through the year. Their attention to detail was hugely impressive.

Happy cooking.

Lemon roast chicken with chopped Greek salad. \ Photo: Philip Doyle. Food styling: Sharon Hearne-Smith

Lemon roast chicken with chopped Greek salad

Serves four to five

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp butter

1 lemon, halved

2 fresh rosemary sprigs

1.5kg (3 1/2lb) whole chicken

0.5 cucumber, diced

2 ripe tomatoes, diced

1 red onion, finely chopped

100g (4oz) feta cheese, crumbed

2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 Preheat the oven to 1900C/3750F/gas mark five.
  • 2 Put the garlic into a bowl and add one teaspoon of butter. Season to taste and mix until well combined.
  • 3 Cut a lemon in half. Take a 1.5kg whole chicken and loosen the string. Stuff the cavity with the halved lemon and rosemary sprigs. Re-tie with the string.
  • 4 Place the chicken in a roasting tin. Smear all over the skin with the garlic butter.
  • 5 Roast the chicken for 80 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.
  • 6 To check that the chicken is fully cooked, pierce the thigh with a skewer – the juices should run clear and be piping hot and there should be no pink meat.
  • 7 Remove the chicken from the oven and cover loosely with tin foil and a clean tea towel. Set aside to rest, then carve into slices and arrange on a platter.
  • 8 Mix the cucumber in a bowl with the tomatoes, onion, feta, parsley and olive oil. Season to taste. Spoon over the chicken pieces to serve.
  • French omelette with mushrooms & ham

    Serves two

    2 tsp sunflower oil

    200g (7oz) Irish baby button mushroom, sliced

    Four large eggs

    knob of butter

    25g (1oz) mature white Cheddar cheese, grated

    150g (5oz) carved Irish ham, chopped

    Snipped fresh chives, to garnish

    Mixed green salad, to serve

  • 1 Heat a non-stick large frying pan with half of the oil and tip in the mushrooms and then season with salt and pepper, then sauté for two to three minutes, until tender. Tip into a bowl.
  • 2 Wipe out the frying pan and return to the hob. Break the eggs into a bowl and lightly beat with a pinch of salt. When the pan is hot, add the remaining teaspoon of oil and the butter, swirling it around so that the base and sides get coated.
  • 3 While the butter is still foaming, pour in the egg mixture, tilting the pan from side to side. Stir gently with a fork or wooden spatula, drawing the mixture from the sides to the centre as it sets.

  • 4 When the eggs have almost set, scatter the mushrooms and ham on top and finish with the cheese. Flip over to enclose the filling and then slide onto a warmed plate. Garnish with chives and serve at once cut into slices on plates with salad.
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