If I tell you this is probably the most ‘moist and succulent’ chicken I have had in a long time, then I hope you will look past the fact that this dish was very hard to photograph well and as a result, I almost didn’t share it with you all.
But the family often get the final say, when I ask them “Is this dinner blog worthy?”
This one got a very big YES from the family.
As a foodie, I can be easily drawn to the fancy dish, that looks spectacular on Instagram or in a magazine, but when it comes to cook fast eat slow, I aim to keep my promise to you by only sharing recipes that are ‘home-cooking’ recipes; the type anyone can make in order to feed your family on an average Tuesday night.
I thank Skye Gyngell for this recipe that first appeared in Delicious magazine April 2008, when she was Head Chef of the infamous Petersham Nurseries Cafe in London. Apparently this is what she feeds her children at home. If it’s good enough for her, then it’s good enough for me!
- 1 whole chicken, cavity rinsed out with water, drained and excess fat around neck trimmed off.
- 1 lemon, halved
- a small bunch of fresh sage
- 2 fresh bay leaves (dried is fine too)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 spanish (red) onion, peeled and cut into chunky pieces
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
- approx 1.2 kg butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 x 440gm cans chopped tomatoes
- Place the lemon half, 1 bay leaf and half the bunch of sage inside the cavity of the chicken.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen string.
- Heat a heavy-based large pot or saucepan over medium heat.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and heat till hot.
- Brown the chicken a little on each side, for about 10-15 mins or so all up.
- Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add the onion into the pan and cook till it's slightly softened, stirring occasionally.
- Place the chicken back into the pan, and add the vegetables, remaining sage leaves, bay leaf, and garlic cloves.
- Pour over the cans of tomato and give it all a big stir, making sure the vegetables are nestled around the chicken.
- Cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low so it simmers away gently for about 45 minutes.
- Check the chicken is cooked by inserting a skewer into the thigh of the chicken, the juices will run clear if it's cooked.
- Pull apart the chicken and place in bowls with vegetables, covering everything with lots of sauce.
- Serve with steamed green vegetables.
- The chicken doesn't need to be covered by the liquid. Once the lid is on, the chicken will steam and be nice and tender.
Can’t wait to give this a red hot go! Xo