A whole roasting tray of crispy chicken, bacon and potatoes, perfumed with rosemary and thyme leaves.
For a feistier flavour, substitute one-third to half the bacon for diced chorizo. Halve the quantities below for a smaller serving.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 500g streaky bacon lardons
- 2kg free-range, organic chicken thighs, drumsticks and wings
- 2-3 tbsp thyme leaves
- 1-2 tbsp chopped rosemary
- 1.1kg potatoes
- 250g onions, sliced
- 60-110ml hot chicken stock
- Green salad or vegetables of your choice, to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 230C/210C fan/Gas 8. Heat the oil in a roasting tin, add the bacon and toss over a high heat until it is beginning to colour. Remove to a plate with a perforated spoon.
- Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Put into a large bowl and scatter with most of the thyme leaves and chopped rosemary, reserving some for the potatoes. (I sometimes add a sprinkling of chilli flakes or smoked paprika – it gets a brilliant reaction.) Toss well.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into 1cm-thick chips. Dry and season well with salt, pepper and the reserved herbs. Add to the bowl with chicken. Drizzle with the bacon fat and olive oil from the pan and toss once again.
- Scatter the onions and bacon over the base of a 37x31cm roasting tin, or two smaller 30x20cm tins. Arrange the chicken and potatoes haphazardly on top, making sure that the potatoes are popping up. Drizzle with a little more oil. Roast for 45 minutes to one hour or until the chicken is cooked through (the juices should be running clear if pricked with a knife) and the chips are crispy at the edges. (Organic chicken pieces are larger, so the cooking time can be up to an hour and 15 minutes.) Add the chicken stock at the end if the dish needs a little more juice.
- Serve from the tin, family style, with a good green salad and vegetables of your choice.