The Sunday dinner. It’s a British staple. Families gather round the table every weekend. Children travelling miles to enjoy their parents’ cooking as part of tradition. Well, most children. For some, travelling miles to experience your mother’s cooking isn’t always the most idyllic Sunday. Charred really is an acquired taste.
However, what that does mean is I’ve found a truly wonderful recipe of my own for Britain’s favourite dish.
According to a recent survey, which can be found here, the roast dinner topped curry, steak, and even fish and chips as the UK’s favourite food.
Which, of course, is the perfect excuse to share this delicious recipe with you.
Ingredients…
Now, we know how it is, you can’t always find things in the supermarket, we’ve all been there. But with this simple recipe you’ll have no problem finding the produce in any local store.
– Chicken (a vital ingredient)
– 2 onions
– 2 carrots
– 1 bulb of garlic
– 2 sticks of celery
– Sea salt
– Ground pepper
– Olive oil
– 1 lemon
– Fresh rosemary
Preparation…
Firstly, ensure your chicken is out of the fridge around half an hour before it goes into the oven – preheated to 240°C, gas mark 9.
Chop up the vegetables and break up the garlic into cloves, placing all the ingredients into the middle of a roasting tray with just a drizzle of the olive oil.
Drizzle the oil further over the chicken and season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and prick the lemon to bring out the flavour and place it inside the chicken’s cavity alongside the rosemary.
Ready to cook…
Placing the chicken on top of the veg, letting the carrots and onions cook in the glorious juices which will emanate from the bird, it’s now time for it to enter the oven.
At this stage you should turn the heat down to around 200°C, and allow to cook for around an hour and 20 minutes.
Naturally, that’s perfect timing to do the roasties – in between checking the chicken halfway through, basting it, and adding a touch of water if the vegetables are looking dry.
And there you have it. It’s simple, effective and truly perfect. For many, it’ll certainly put the family recipe to shame.