ROAST CHICKEN WITH GARLICKY WHITE BEANS AND A GREEN OLIVE SALSA

WHY ROAST CHICKEN ALWAYS WINS AND SOMETIMES SMALLER IS BETTER

Hi!

And welcome back to COME FOR SUPPER.

I love a roast chicken when people come over. I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Simple wins! There is nothing more deliciously comforting than the smell of a chicken roasting in the oven and of all the scents to welcome you when entering a kitchen it is right up there.

I tend to cook a whole chicken when there are just four or six at the table. Stretching a chicken for more than six feels a bit mean and if I’m cooking chicken for a bigger crowd I’ll usually opt for thighs or legs. But when there is just a small group to feed I will often roast a chicken. I think my death row meal would be a really good roast chicken. There would be other things there too of course but the chicken would take centre stage. My favourite dinner parties or get-togethers are also the smaller ones. The ones where it feels intimate enough around the table for the conversation to really dive deep and get to the good stuff.

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If you’re new here, scroll down to find the written recipe and scroll ALL the way down for the printable PDF where you’ll also find some MUSIC TO COOK TO. This one is for paid subscribers. If that’s you already, thank you!! Your support goes right back into my work developing recipes, shooting videos, and writing about all of it.

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THE RECIPES

You read a lot about ‘the best way to roast a chicken’ or ‘the only way to roast a chicken’. Much of the good advice given is the same whilst some (I read one recipe that required the cook to pipette the juices over the chicken at 10 minute intervals and honestly who has the time!!) is ridiculous. The basic principles I follow are below

• Bring the bird as close to room temperature as you can before cooking

• Ensure that is is covered in fat, be it olive oil or butter

• Always stuff the cavity with aromatics, be it lemon, onion, garlic, herbs or all of the above

• Always let the bird rest once cooked

• And something I am fanatic about is to always include a layer of veg beneath the chicken. This is for two reasons. Firstly it brings a steaming element to the chicken helping to keep the meat moist. Secondly, the fat that runs down from the chicken seeps into the vegetables providing you with a glorious flavourful side OR a very good base for gravy.

It is this last point that is the crucial element to this recipe. The chicken is roasted atop a layer of fennel, shallots and garlic. The garlic (soft and sweet) is squeezed into the white beans and blended into a garlicky creamy mash. The fennel and shallots now jammy and enriched with the flavour of the chicken are spooned over the mash along with some of the cooking juices. It is a simple but it is DELICIOUS.

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ROAST CHICKEN WITH GARLICKY WHITE BEANS, SHALLOTS, SAGE AND OREGANO

Beans are having a moment and I am a fan. I reccommend going for beans in a jar if you can. They usually have better flavour as well as a thick gelatinous bean stock that adds a brilliant creaminess to this. I love Bold Bean co. but if you can’t find them canned beans work very well too. Just add a slosh of olive oil before blending.

• 1 large chicken

• 6 large banana shallots