This roast chicken will be ideal for the bank holiday weekend, or indeed for any special occasion. It is one of those meals that everyone enjoys. As you know, I am a great fan of the corn-fed chicken. It is very moist and succulent. For potatoes I like roosters. They are very versatile. I visited Country Crest in Lusk a while back and Michael Hoey was telling me that one of the things people particularly like is that they have less eyes.
Romesco is an interesting Spanish-inspired sauce that is worth trying. It is also very good with any grilled fish and will keep for a week in the fridge.
The frozen lollies are great fun to make and my kids love getting stuck in with the dipping. I do keep an eye on them to ensure that most of the chocolate does end up on the bananas! Make sure that the bananas are ripe and get as good a chocolate as you can. I like our local Áine’s Chocolate made by Ann Rudden in Stradone, Co Cavan. She makes milk, white and dark chocolate and all are excellent.
Happy cooking,
Neven
Speedy roast chicken with potato wedges and Romesco sauce
Serves four
1 large whole chicken
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp chopped fresh thyme
4 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
300ml chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
½ lemon, cut into slices
10 garlic cloves, peeled
For the sauce:
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 roasted red peppers from a jar, chopped
100g toasted blanched almonds
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
5 tablespoons rapeseed oil
To serve:
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh green salad
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark six). To spatchcock the chicken, using a kitchen shears or shape knife, cut the chicken along both sides of the backbone to remove it. Flip the chicken over, press down on the breastbone until you hear it crack. Alternatively, ask your butcher to do it for you. 2 Mix the oil with the smoked paprika, crushed garlic and thyme. Rub the chicken all over with the oil mixture and then season with salt and pepper, then tuck the wings slightly under the breast.3 Put the potato wedges into a large roasting tin and toss in any remaining oil mixture, then pour over the chicken stock and add the lemon and whole garlic cloves.4 Place the chicken on a rack set on the roasting tin and roast on the middle shelf of the oven for 45 minutes until the skin is nice and crispy and the flesh is cooked through and tender.5 Meanwhile, make the romesco sauce. Place the garlic, peppers, almonds and vinegar in a food processor and blend until smooth. With the motor running, add in the oil and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.6 Transfer the cooked chicken to a carving board and loosely cover with foil. Leave to rest for about 15 minutes. Give the potatoes a quick shake to even them out and then return to the oven while the chicken is resting. Once the chicken has rested, chop into pieces and arrange on plates with bowls of the romesco sauce, potato wedges and some salad.Frozen choc-nut banana lollies
Serves four to six
4 ripe, but still firm, bananas
225g (8oz) dark or milk chocolate, broken into squares
50g (2oz) butter
150g (5oz) toasted nuts, finely chopped (such as hazelnuts or almonds)
1 Peel the bananas, then cut into chunks about 5cm (2in) long. Push a cocktail stick into each chunk. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the banana chunks on top. Place in the freezer for one hour until firm.2 Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and leave for about five minutes until melted, then stir well to combine. Spread out the nuts on a large tray or plate.3 Remove the bananas from the freezer and dip them into the melted chocolate mixture, making sure that each chunk is completely coated. Quickly roll them in the chopped nuts to cover completely.4 Place the coated bananas back on the lined baking sheet and return to the freezer for about 30 minutes to harden. Arrange on a platter to serve.
This roast chicken will be ideal for the bank holiday weekend, or indeed for any special occasion. It is one of those meals that everyone enjoys. As you know, I am a great fan of the corn-fed chicken. It is very moist and succulent. For potatoes I like roosters. They are very versatile. I visited Country Crest in Lusk a while back and Michael Hoey was telling me that one of the things people particularly like is that they have less eyes.
Romesco is an interesting Spanish-inspired sauce that is worth trying. It is also very good with any grilled fish and will keep for a week in the fridge.
The frozen lollies are great fun to make and my kids love getting stuck in with the dipping. I do keep an eye on them to ensure that most of the chocolate does end up on the bananas! Make sure that the bananas are ripe and get as good a chocolate as you can. I like our local Áine’s Chocolate made by Ann Rudden in Stradone, Co Cavan. She makes milk, white and dark chocolate and all are excellent.
Happy cooking,
Neven
Speedy roast chicken with potato wedges and Romesco sauce
Serves four
1 large whole chicken
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp chopped fresh thyme
4 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
300ml chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
½ lemon, cut into slices
10 garlic cloves, peeled
For the sauce:
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 roasted red peppers from a jar, chopped
100g toasted blanched almonds
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
5 tablespoons rapeseed oil
To serve:
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh green salad
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark six). To spatchcock the chicken, using a kitchen shears or shape knife, cut the chicken along both sides of the backbone to remove it. Flip the chicken over, press down on the breastbone until you hear it crack. Alternatively, ask your butcher to do it for you. 2 Mix the oil with the smoked paprika, crushed garlic and thyme. Rub the chicken all over with the oil mixture and then season with salt and pepper, then tuck the wings slightly under the breast.3 Put the potato wedges into a large roasting tin and toss in any remaining oil mixture, then pour over the chicken stock and add the lemon and whole garlic cloves.4 Place the chicken on a rack set on the roasting tin and roast on the middle shelf of the oven for 45 minutes until the skin is nice and crispy and the flesh is cooked through and tender.5 Meanwhile, make the romesco sauce. Place the garlic, peppers, almonds and vinegar in a food processor and blend until smooth. With the motor running, add in the oil and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.6 Transfer the cooked chicken to a carving board and loosely cover with foil. Leave to rest for about 15 minutes. Give the potatoes a quick shake to even them out and then return to the oven while the chicken is resting. Once the chicken has rested, chop into pieces and arrange on plates with bowls of the romesco sauce, potato wedges and some salad.Frozen choc-nut banana lollies
Serves four to six
4 ripe, but still firm, bananas
225g (8oz) dark or milk chocolate, broken into squares
50g (2oz) butter
150g (5oz) toasted nuts, finely chopped (such as hazelnuts or almonds)
1 Peel the bananas, then cut into chunks about 5cm (2in) long. Push a cocktail stick into each chunk. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the banana chunks on top. Place in the freezer for one hour until firm.2 Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and leave for about five minutes until melted, then stir well to combine. Spread out the nuts on a large tray or plate.3 Remove the bananas from the freezer and dip them into the melted chocolate mixture, making sure that each chunk is completely coated. Quickly roll them in the chopped nuts to cover completely.4 Place the coated bananas back on the lined baking sheet and return to the freezer for about 30 minutes to harden. Arrange on a platter to serve. 
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