Ingredients

Method

• 1 free-range chicken (about 1 kg)
• 3 T olive oil
• 3 or 4 sprigs rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Salad leaves, for serving
• Hot mustard, for serving
For the crusty potato salad
• 500 g baby Mediterranean potatoes
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2-3 T red-wine vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 T roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

Ingredients

Cut out the backbone of the chicken (freeze it for stock). Cut the rest of the chicken into 4 portions.
Meanwhile gently heat the oil with the rosemary and garlic in a wide nonstick pan until fragrant.
Place the seasoned chicken pieces, flesh side down into the pan. Cover with baking paper and press down by placing a heavy cast iron pan on top.
Turn the heat to medium-hot and cook for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Flip and cook skin side down, weighted with the heavy pan, for another 10 minutes or until well-browned and cooked through (the thighs may need a few minutes longer than the breast portions).
Keep the chicken warm in a low oven while finishing off the potatoes.
Serve with crusty potato salad, a bowl of green salad leaves and a pot of mustard.

To make the crusty potato salad:

Scrub and halve the potatoes. Steam or simmer until tender. Drain.
Sauté the onion and potato in the same pan as the chicken, using the leftover oil, until the potatoes are crusty and the onion well browned.
Add the vinegar, parsley and seasoning, to taste, and mix well together.

Leftovers? Don’t reheat the chicken, rather use it for sandwiches. Spread a good baguette or sourdough bread with mayonnaise and sandwich with green leaves and pickles.

TASTE’s take:
Much quicker than oven-roasting a chicken, this meal is a good stand-by when short on time. If you prefer to leave out the potatoes, serve the chicken with a basic slaw.

Browse more roast chicken recipes here.