On Thursday nights, moreoften than not wehave roast chicken. As creatures of habit who prefer the comfort of the predictable, Karl and I usually have our friend Sround for dinner. Slikes chicken, and Karl makes a terrific version, so everyone is happy. Apart from the chicken, ofcourse, so the least we can do ismake sure we get abird that hadits own share of comfort and predictability: a well‑fed, free-range, generally happy bird. This also guarantees more flavoursome, tender meat.
Aside from the chicken, we have to be impulsive and spontaneous. This is where things change from one week to the next, where a certain anxiety rears its head in the eternal question: “What to serve with the chicken?” The problem is, almost everything goes: salads and roast vegetables, starchy roots, all grains, even pork sausages and some seafood will sit happily alongside and bask in the chicken’s reassuringly ordinary glory. .
Here, then, is myrecipe for roast chicken, one that you can bring to your table every Thursday, if you wish. There are four side dishes tochoose from, too – which spares me the problem of having to make adecision.
Roast chicken with preservedlemon
The joy of a good roast is that the oven does all the work. Serves four.
70g unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp thyme leaves
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 small preserved lemon, pips discarded, flesh and skin roughly chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 1½tbsp juice, to drizzle
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
1.5kg free-range chicken
Heat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Put the butter, thyme, garlic, preserved lemon, lemon zest,half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper in a food processor. Blitz, then set aside whileyou tackle the bird.
With the chicken’s legs pointing towards you, use your hands to loosen the skin from the breasts. Spread most of the butter mixture evenly over the breasts, under the skin, then smear the remaining butter over the legs. Put the chicken in a medium-sized, high-sided baking tray, drizzle with the lemon juice and sprinkle with ateaspoon ofsalt and plenty of pepper.
Roast for about 70 minutes, basting every 15 minutes or so, until the skin is golden-brown and crisp, and the juices run clear (stick the tipof a sharp knife into the thickest part of the thigh to check; if the juices are still a little pink, just give the bird five to 10 minutes more cooking). Remove from the oven, leave to rest for 10 minutes, then carve and serve.
Roast baby turnips with sage andgarlic
The cooking time of baby turnips varies depending on their size, which ranges from small to tiny. You’ll need anything between 15 and30 turnips to get the 650g youneed here. Serves four as a sidedish.
About 25 baby turnips, leaves removed and stalks trimmed to 5cm long
3 tbsp duck fat (or olive oil)
8 sage leaves, finely shredded
4 garlic cloves, skin on
8 strips finely shaved lemon skin (1lemon), plus 1 tsp lemon juice
Salt
5g mint leaves, shredded
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Rinse and pat dry the turnips, then put them in a large bowl with the duck fat, sage, garlic, lemon skin and a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Mix well, then spread out on a large oventray lined with baking paper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the aromatics are crisp and the turnips are golden-brown and soft enough for a sharp knife to go ineasily.
Remove the tray from the oven, then squeeze the garlic out of its skin. Discard the skins and put the contents of the tray into a large bowl. Mix gently, so the soft garlic gets distributed throughout, add the lemon juice and mint, give it a final, gentle stir and serve.
Spring onion salad
Don’t be put off by the name. Yes, it’san onion salad, but it tastes incredibly fresh and is not too harsh. It’sgreat with the chicken, and with barbecued lamb chops or tofu. Use baby cucumbers, if possible: they are much more robust and less watery than larger varieties (if you have to use a large cucumber, first cut itin half lengthways and scoop out thewatery, seed-filled core). Serves six as a sidedish.
4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
Flaky sea salt
8-10 spring onions, cut lengthways intoquarters, then finely chopped
2 baby cucumbers, skin on, cut into 1cm dice
1 green pepper, trimmed, deseeded andcut into 1cm dice
15g mint leaves, finely shredded
15g coriander, roughly chopped
½ tsp nigella seeds
Put the ginger in a mortar, crush to a rough paste and mix with the lemon juice, oil and half a teaspoon of salt.
In a large bowl, mix the spring onions, cucumber, pepper, herbs and nigella seeds, add the crushed ginger dressing, toss well and serve.
Buckwheat and french bean salad
I’d happily eat this as it is, for a light lunch or snack, even without the chicken. Serves four.
2 red onions, peeled and cut into 2cm-wide wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt
90g raw buckwheat (ie not kasha, which is pre-toasted)
350g french beans, trimmed and cut inhalf across the middle
5g mint leaves, roughly chopped
5g tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
1 tsp urfa chilli flakes, to serve (or½tsp standard chilli flakes
For the sauce
100g Greek yoghurt
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp dried mint
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Mix the onion wedges in a large bowl with a tablespoon of oil and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt. Spread out on an oven tray lined with baking paper and roast for 18-20 minutes, until cooked through and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, add the buckwheat and cook for 15 minutes, until al dente, then drain and refresh under cold water.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the beans for only five minutes, until they’re just about cooked but still have some bite. Drain, refresh under cold water, then set aside to dry; pat them dry in a tea towel, if need be.
In a small bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients with an eighth of a teaspoon of salt.
To serve, put the onions, buckwheat, beans, mint and tarragon in a bowl and mix with the remaining tablespoon of oil and half a teaspoon of salt. Arrange the salad on a large platter, then spoon the yoghurt sauce over the top. Lightly toss just the top layer of the salad (you want some of the salad to be coated in the dressing and some not, for appearance’s sake) sprinkle the chilli on top and serve.
New potatoes with peas andcoriander
A few chopped anchovies or sorrel leaves make a nice addition here, ifyou want to add another burst of flavour. Serves four as a side dish.
300g podded peas (fresh or frozen )
2 green chillies, finely chopped (takeout the seeds, if you prefer)
1 small preserved lemon, pips discarded, flesh and skin roughly chopped
15g coriander leaves, roughly chopped, plus an extra 5g to garnish
60ml olive oil
Finely grated zest of ½ small lemon, plus 1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and black pepper
750g new potatoes (cut in half if large)
Bring a large pan of water to a boil,blanch the peas for a minute, then drain. Set aside one-third of the peas and put the rest in a food processor with the chillies, preserved lemon, coriander leaves, oil, lemon zest, a third of ateaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Blitz to a rough paste.
Bring a large saucepan of well salted water to a boil, then cook the potatoes for 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain, transfer to a large bowl and roughly crush: you want at least a third of them left more or less whole. Add the blitzed and whole peas to the bowl with the lemon juice and chopped coriander, gently stir through and serve warm
