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Garlic roast chicken with rosemary and pancetta

Name: Garlic roast chicken with rosemary and pancetta
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 1kg white potatoes, cut into 1cm slices; 1 garlic bulb, separated into cloves; 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves picked; 1 lemon; ½ tsp coarse sea salt; Good knob of butter; 1.5kg whole free-range chicken; 150g pancetta, cubed; 300ml white wine

Published: 30 Apr 08
Updated: 18 Mar 24

The combined flavour of the garlic with the butter, rosemary and lemon infuse both the chicken and the potatoes cooking beneath in this roast dinner recipe.

Easy
May 2008

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Takes 20 min to make and 1½ hours to roast

The combined flavour of the garlic with the butter, rosemary and lemon infuse both the chicken and the potatoes cooking beneath in this roast dinner recipe.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 579kcals
Fat: 16.6g (5.9g saturated)
Protein: 66.4g
Carbohydrates: 44g (2.6g sugars)
Salt: 2.4g

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Ingredients

1kg white potatoes, cut into 1cm slices
1 garlic bulb, separated into cloves
2 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
1 lemon
½ tsp coarse sea salt
Good knob of butter
1.5kg whole free-range chicken
150g pancetta, cubed
300ml white wine

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Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Put the potatoes into a large saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes, until just tender. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, place the peeled garlic cloves and rosemary leaves in a mini food processor. Pare the lemon zest into the processor and add the salt. Whizz until it forms a paste. Add the butter and a good grinding of black pepper and whizz again until well blended.
Starting from the neck end of the chicken, loosen the skin with your fingers, then with your hands, being careful not to tear it. Spread the paste between the flesh and the skin, smoothing it down and around the bird as far as you can – make sure you get plenty on the breast, which is the driest part. Quarter the pared lemon and tuck it into the body cavity.

Layer the potatoes and pancetta in a roasting tin, sit the chicken on top and pour over the wine. Season and roast for 1½ hours, until the chicken is golden and cooked through. Rest for 5 minutes, then carve and serve with the flavour-packed potatoes.