Roast chicken with orange butter rub, roasted vegetables and creamy gravy

By: Katy Holder
From: Dinner Like A Boss
Serves: 4-5 people
Prep: 25 mins
Cooking time: 80 mins
Photographer: Benito Martin

Our family absolutely loves roast chicken and I love cooking it! Yes, there might be a few different components to prepare and, yes, it might all get gobbled up in less than 10 minutes, but it’s warming, nurturing food that fills the house with delicious cooking smells. Don’t be put off by the parsnips; I think kids like them because they are sweet, so they’re worth trying with your family.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient

Chicken with orange butter and gravy

Quantity	Ingredient
1	orange
30g	softened butter
1	whole chicken, about 1.2–1.5 kg, preferably free-range
2	thyme sprigs
1	onion, cut into wedges
225g	frozen peas
1 tablespoon	plain flour
100ml	pouring cream

Roasted vegetables

Quantity	Ingredient
1 tablespoon	olive oil
3-4	medium parsnips, cut into long wedges and cored, about 500 g in total
4	medium carrots, quartered lengthways, then cut in half to make batons
800g	waxy or salad potatoes, cut in half, larger ones quartered
4	garlic cloves, unpeeled

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Take two flameproof roasting dishes and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to one for the roasted vegetables. Put both dishes in the oven while the oven is heating. Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil for the parsnips (if using).
For the chicken, finely grate the zest from the orange and combine it with the softened butter in a small dish. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the orange in half. Squeeze the juice from one orange half and cut the other half into two pieces. Using clean fingers, carefully loosen the skin from around the chicken breast (without splitting the skin). Do this by gently wiggling your fingers between the breast and the skin. Spread half the butter between the flesh and the skin. Spread the remaining butter over the outside of the breast and on the legs. Put the orange pieces and half the thyme inside the chicken cavity.
Remove the dish without the oil from the oven and put the chicken inside. Arrange the onion around the outside and add the remaining thyme. Add the orange juice and 250 ml of water. Roast for 1 hour–1 hour 20 minutes, depending on the weight, spooning the pan juices over the chicken about every 15 minutes and adding up to an extra 250 ml of water if the pan juices evaporate too quickly.
Meanwhile, for the roasted vegetables, cook the parsnips for 2–3 minutes in the boiling water. Drain well. Put the parsnips, carrots and potatoes in the pre-heated dish with the garlic cloves. Season with salt and toss to combine. Roast for 45 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice during cooking.
Once the chicken is cooked – to check, pierce the thigh and check the juices run clear with no sign of pink – transfer it to a warm plate and cover it with foil. Reserve the juices in the roasting dish.
If the vegetables are still roasting, increase the heat by 20°C to help brown them. Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil for the peas. To make the gravy, place the chicken roasting dish over a low heat and whisk in the flour, stirring to prevent any lumps. Stir in the cream (the exact amount will depend on how thick you like your gravy) and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Cook the peas for 2–3 minutes, or until tender, then drain. Carve the chicken and serve it accompanied by the roasted vegetables, peas and gravy.