Easy Sunday roast

There's nothing nicer than a Sunday roast with meat, veg and gravy, delicious! Some of my friends have told me they shy away from a home roast because it creates too much washing up, seperare pans for the vegetables, a roasting tray, gravy jugs etc. have no fear, this is an easy version using limited pots and creates a super easy roast dinner.

Ingredients (4 people) 

The meat: 1 medium size free range chicken, 1 tbsp butter, 2 cloves crushed garlic, finely grated zest of 1 lemon plus the lemon quartered, salt and pepper. 

The veg: a selection of roasting veg of your choice, I used carrots, green pepper, red onion, potatoes. A green veg option, I used peas. 

1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika, salt and pepper. 

The gravy: 1tbsp plain flour, 1 pint chicken stock. 

On a board use a fork to mash the lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper together. Using your hand gently lift the skin off the chicken breast and push the butter under the skin to cover the breast meat, ensure the skin is pulled back over snugly. Push the quartered lemons in to the cavity of the chicken and put in to a pre-heated oven at 180 celcius. 

Chop the roasting veg in to similar size chunks. Toss in the olive oil, paprika and seasoning. Once the chicken has been cooking for 20 minutes take it out and surround it with the roasting veg mix. 

Put back in to the oven for a further 40 minutes, turning the vegetables occasionally to stop them charring.

With 10 mins to go I boiled some additional potatoes to mash and steamed the peas in a colander hung above the boiling potatoes. 

Once the chicken has been in the oven for the full 60 minutes insert a sharp knife between the leg and breast, if the juices run clear it's cooked, if the juices are pink pop back in the oven for a further 10 minutes and check again. 

When the chicken is cooked lift the roasted veg on to 4 plates, and carefully lift the chicken on to a seperare plate to rest, gently tipping it's juices out of the cavity back in to the roasting tray.

To make the gravy put the roasting pan on to a medium heat, skim some of the oil off the juices which have collected in the bottom and discard. Put the flour in to the pan and quickly stir it in, then gradually add the chicken stock, stirring all the time to make a rich gravy. Cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly. You can sieve this to remove any lumps if you wish. 

Mash the potatoes with a little butter, milk and salt. 

Slice the chicken breast,add to the plates with the roast veg, mashed potatoes, peas and cover with the lucious gravy! I also made some stuffing, however this is optional.