Emma’s Sunday roast chicken recipe

Now maybe for some of you this is a weekly tradition, but for me, a roast chicken is not something I cook very often.

In the last 6 months, I have really reduced the amount of animal products I eat. I am not vegan or vegetarian. I love fish, eggs, dairy and some meats, so I know I don’t want to give them up 100%. Animal products also provide some vital nutrients. However I wanted to try and reduce my consumption of animal products as this is the one of the best ways to reduce our individual carbon impact on the Earth.

Still, sometimes only a roast will do, and with this method you can also start incorporating this into your diet. A Sunday roast will also leave you with some great leftovers for during the week.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg chicken
• 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil
• Dried basil
• 3 or 4 carrots chopped
• Two red onions quartered
• 500 potatoes halved
• 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
• Paprika
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. To begin, pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees.
2. Add your chicken to your roasting dish along with one the tablespoons of oil and lemon juice.
3. Massage the liquid all over the chicken
4. Add some salt, pepper and dried herbs.
5. Put in the oven for 45 minutes.
6. Prepare your veggies by chopping up the potatoes and carrots and quartering your red onions.
7. Place all the vegetables together in a bowl and cover in oil and paprika.
8. After 45 minutes take the chicken out of the oven and transfer to a plate.
9. Leave the liquid in the tray and toss in the prepared veg.
10. Place the chicken back on top and pop in the oven for a further 45-50 minutes.
11. When finished, place the chicken on a plate and cover in foil for 5-10 minutes
12. You can use the liquid that has gathered under the chicken during the cooking process as a gravy
13. Serve up with some additional greens or stuffing, You can easily swap the veg listed for any vegetables you have in your press; parsnips, courgettes, sweet potato or squash would all be lovely editions.

Hope you enjoy!