Sage & Orange Christmas Chicken With Roasties
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 whole chicken (1.6kg)
200g butter, softened
2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
Juice and zest of 1 orange
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For perfect roasties:
1kg potatoes (Maris Pipers or King Edwards), peeled
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200oC/Gas6.
2. Prepare the whole chicken by rinsing under cold water and pat dry.
3. Place the softened butter in a bowl and stir in the fresh sage, orange juice and zest, and crushed garlic. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well. Rub the orange and sage butter all over the chicken and between the skin and breast meat. Pop the juiced orange skin into the cavity of the chicken. Place on a roasting dish and place in the pre-heated oven to roast for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
4. For the roasties. Cut the potatoes in half or in quarters if they are very big: they should all be similar in size. Put them into a saucepan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook for eight minutes, and drain. Melt the butter and mix with the garlic and thyme. Toss the potatoes in the thyme and garlic butter, and using a potato masher, gently squish each potato.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven after 50 minutes and place the roast potatoes around the chicken. Baste the chicken and potatoes in the chicken fat, and return to the oven for the remaining 30 minutes.
6. Once the chicken has cooked, remove from the oven and cover with tin foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes and then carve.
