Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 good free range chicken, about 1.5kg
- 600 to 800g new potatoes, well scrubbed larger ones halved
- 8 to 12 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed
- 2 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 25g of butter cut into cubes
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 to 3 sprigs thyme
- A small handful of parsley, roughly chopped
- A small handful of chives, finely chopped
- A few lovage leaves, finely sliced
- A small handful of fennel tops
- A few chive flowers, if available
- Olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat the oven to 190.c fan, 210.c conventional.
Trickle the chicken all over with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper and . Place the garlic and bay leaves into the cavity.
Set the chicken in a roasting tray and place it in the hot oven. Roast for 15 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven and baste the chicken with the juices. Scatter the scrubbed potatoes around the bird, season them with salt and pepper and scatter in the little cubes of butter. Shake the tray gently so the potatoes are coated in the roasting juices. Add the rosemary and thyme.
Cover the tray loosely with a sheet of parchment and return it to the oven. Roast for a further 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chicken is almost cooked and the thickest part of the breast reaches about 72.c.
Remove the parchment. Arrange the asparagus around the chicken and potatoes. Baste the bird once more and return the tray to the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the asparagus is tender and the chicken is fully cooked.
Remove the tray from the oven and allow the chicken to rest in the pan for about 10 minutes. Scatter over the parsley, chives, lovage and fennel tops and finish with the chive flowers if you have them. Serve straight from the roasting tray with plenty of the pan juices.
