Serves 4
Always a favourite, a freshly roasted chicken will definitely be a hit at any dinner party. You can even do the mash and beans in advance and just pop them in the oven as the chicken is resting to warm up.
Ingredients:
1 whole fresh chicken, approx 1.3-1.5kg
2 tablespoons of store-bought Cajun spice mix
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper
200g French beans (or Haricot Vert), trimmed of any attached stems
2 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
200g sweet potato, peeled and quartered
1 large carrot, halved lengthwise and cut in semi-circle rings
¼ cup cream
50g knob butter
A pinch of nutmeg
Glaze:
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
Method:
1.Briefly blanch the beans in a pot of salted boiling water for about 1 minute before refreshing in some iced water (this retains their bright green colour).
2. To make the mash, use the same pot and boil the potatoes, carrots and sweet potatoes in salted boiling water until fork tender.
3.Drain the vegetables and place in a food processor and blend with the cream, butter, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Reserve.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
5. Place the chicken on a roasting tray lined with baking paper and season liberally with salt, pepper and the Cajun spice mix.
6.Drizzle the bird with some olive oil and rub all over before roasting for 35 minutes.
7. As the chicken is roasting, mix all the ingredients for the glaze.
8. Remove the chicken from the oven and brush liberally all over with the glaze.
9. Bake for a further 15 minutes (you might need to cover the chicken with aluminium foil if it gets too dark).
10. Allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving and serving with the mash and beans.
Mervyn is the owner and resident organiser of cooking parties at Cookyn with Mervyn. From his city studio kitchen, Mervyn guides fellow food lovers in preparing restaurant-style dishes in a fun and surprisingly easy way.
