Sunday roast one-pan chicken

This is often my preferred alternative to a Sunday roast which is just as simple to prepare and only needs the addition of some greens to beef up the portions.  If, like me, you have absolutely no concern for decorum or tradition, you might like the addition of Yorkshire puddings too because, personally, it never feels like Sunday lunch without a Yorkie (clearly a hang-over from childhood – and talking of which, this dish also seems to go down very well with the small, fussy eaters of my family who generally come back for seconds).

Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4 chicken drumsticks 4 chicken thighs (skin & bone on)
• 750g small waxy potatoes
• 2 red onions
• bulb of garlic
• 2 red peppers

Method

Preheat the oven to 210° (190° fan)

Get two large baking trays and put 2 drumsticks and 2 chicken thighs in each.

Cut the potatoes into cubes of around 1cm and divide between the two tins.  Do the same with the peppers, having already deseeded them.

Peel and finely slice the onions and divide between the tins and break up the bulb of garlic, throw away the dry outer layer and put half each of the unpeeled cloves into the tins.

Then, drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil over each tin and toss their contents to make sure everything is coated before sprinkling everything with seasoning and putting in the oven for 50 minutes.

Tips

Use the largest baking trays you have – the more space the more crisp and caramelized everything will become. When it comes to tossing the ingredients in the trays, I do this by hand, wearing disposable gloves for ease.

Trivia

The “Sunday roast” has for centuries been an established part of British and Irish life, also influencing the cuisine and food cultures of those countries whose people originated from the British Isles. It is the British form of a wider European custom of eating a large meal on Sundays after attending church, before which it was usual to fast. Sunday was one day when there were no restrictions on food, such as the Catholic practice of not allowing meat on Fridays. While this “breakfast” was generally eaten around the middle of the day, families keeping up the tradition have tended to become more flexible concerning times.