Yes it’s dead simple but it’s a dish fit for a king when you get it right.
The simpler the dish, the more important the ingredients. That’s because you’re not adding anything fancy, so it’s best to start with a quality chook and good fresh veggies. In Sydney, I go to a butcher called Hudsons who sells Banockburn chickens from Victoria, but any good quality free range chook will do. Hudsons sells chicken pieces such as Marylands and wings – that’s where the flavour is, so I buy a combination of these pieces and put them is a dish for roasting.
Chicken: Wash the pieces and put them on a baking tray (don’t forget to wash your hands as well after handling raw chicken). Drizzle a little olive oil over the pieces then squeeze some lemon juice over them, followed by a decent sprinkle of dried thyme, ground pepper and Vogel’s Herbamare salt. If you can’t get Herbamare, use another herbal salt. Bake the chicken at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, then turn it over and repeat the procedure. Put the veggies on first.
Veggies: Your choice really, but these are my favourites below. The first lot needs an hour and a half – again at 375 degrees:
- 2 – 3 Onions – whole if small, or cut in half
- 3 or 4 Carrots – cut into bite sized rounds
- 3 – 4 Potatoes – bite sized wedges
The second tranche is softer and should be added 45 minutes later:
- 1 Fennel bulb – cut in half
- 1 Sweet potato – bite sized rounds
- A quarter Pumpkin – big chunks
- 1 – 2 Zucchini – bite sized rounds
A few pointers:
Make sure you drizzle enough olive oil on the veggies, and sprinkle some dried Rosemary over them. Turn the veggies over 2 or 3 times during the hour and a half, and keep in mind that you may need more olive oil.
That’s pretty much it. The final secret ingredient is a good Riesling about 2 or 3 years old so it’s developed a bit of flavour.
Kim