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Citrus and herb roast chicken with crispy onion pilaf and charred sprouts recipe

Citrus and herb roast chicken with crispy onion pilaf and charred sprouts recipe

1 rating

This warming roast chicken is packed with delicious citrussy flavours. Serve with a fragrant pilaf, studded with chestnuts and crispy sage, and charred sprouts. See method

  • Serves 6
  • 30 mins to prepare and 1 hr 20 mins to cook
  • 902 calories / serving
  • Gluten-free

Ingredients

For the pilaf

  • 2 large onions, sliced into ½cm wedges
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 cinnamon stick​
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 200g basmati rice, rinsed
  • 60g green olives with herbs
  • 1 lemon, rind peeled into 4 strips with a potato peeler, and the juice
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 30g butter
  • 20g fresh sage, leaves removed
  • 100g Merchant Gourmet chestnuts

For the chicken

  • 2 oranges, sliced into 2cm slices
  • 2 clementines, cut in half
  • 1 whole free-range chicken (about 1.6kg)
  • 2 lemons, cut in half
  • 4 parsnips, peeled and sliced into long, 2cm thick strips

For the charred sprouts

  • 100g pancetta lardons, or bacon lardons
  • 350g Brussels sprouts, halved
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
Basmati rice can always be swapped for long-grain

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    3770kj
    902kcal     45%

  • Fat

    52g 74%

  • Saturates

    14g 72%

  • Sugars

    14g 16%

  • Salt

    2.5g 41%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 56.1g Protein 54.7g Fibre 10.1g

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to gas 5, 200°C, fan 180°C. 
  2. Place the slices of orange and clementine in a large roasting tray, then nestle the chicken on top; tuck in the parsnips around the sides. Place two halves of the lemon in the cavity, along with a few sage leaves. Season well with salt and pepper and roast in the hot oven according to pack instructions until golden and cooked through. 
  3. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the pilaf and sprouts. For the pilaf (about 15 mins before the chicken is ready): in a large saucepan, fry the onions in the olive oil until caramelised and slightly charred on the edges, over a high heat. Remove a spoonful of onions to garnish with later. 
  4. Add the spices and garlic to the pan and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the rice, olives, lemon rind and stock. Cover and cook for 10-12 mins. 
  5. Melt the butter in a small frying pan or saucepan, and add the sage leaves. Cook for 2-3 mins until slightly translucent – the leaves will become crispy. Spoon out and place on kitchen paper to drain. 
  6. For the sprouts: fry the lardons, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Over a high heat, fry the Brussels in the oil for 2-3 mins per side until just charred and cooked through. Spoon onto a platter and top with the crispy lardons. 
  7. To finish the pilaf, stir through the chestnuts and some of the sage leaves and reserved crispy onions. Sprinkle the rest of the sage leaves over the chicken and pilaf. 
  8. Serve the roast chicken with the sprouts and pilaf.

See more Chicken recipes

For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.

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