A whole chicken, a pile of potatoes and plenty of Extra Virgin Olive Oil share one tray. The skin turns golden and crisp, the potatoes roast in the juices and the lemon, garlic and rosemary scent the whole kitchen.
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus 15 minutes resting
- Serves: 4 to 6
- Oil used: 250ml PepperGreen Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ingredients
- 250ml PepperGreen Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 whole chicken, about 1.8kg
- 1kg potatoes, cut into 3 to 4cm chunks
- 2 lemons
- 1 whole garlic bulb
- Small bunch of rosemary
- Sea salt flakes and black pepper
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and pat it very dry with paper towel.
- Toss the potatoes on a large, deep roasting tray with 120ml of the oil, a good pinch of salt and half of the rosemary. Spread them out, leaving a space in the middle for the chicken.
- Cut one lemon in half and push one half, a few rosemary sprigs and half the garlic bulb into the chicken cavity. Cut the other lemon into wedges and break the remaining garlic into cloves, leaving the skins on. Scatter both around the potatoes.
- Rub the chicken all over with 60ml of the oil, then season generously with salt and pepper. Sit it breast-side up in the middle of the tray.
- Roast for 1 hour 15 minutes, turning the potatoes and spooning the juices over the chicken once about halfway through. The chicken is ready when the skin is deep golden and a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 75°C.
- Rest the chicken on the tray for 15 minutes. Drizzle the remaining 70ml of oil over the chicken and potatoes, squeeze over the roasted lemon and serve from the tray.
Tips
- Dry skin is crisp skin. Pat the chicken dry before rubbing it with oil.
- Give everything room. Use a tray big enough for the potatoes to sit in one layer, or they will steam instead of roast.
- Use a thermometer. It is the most reliable way to know the chicken is cooked through. Different ovens and chickens vary, so the timing is a guide.
- Leftover oil and juices in the tray make a good dressing for the potatoes the next day.
About the oil
We use PepperGreen Estate Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil, grown in our own grove at Canyonleigh in the Southern Highlands and processed on site. It is the oil our Tasting Room kitchen in Berrima cooks with. See the full Extra Virgin Olive Oil range, from the 100ml bottle to the 3 litre tin made for everyday cooking, or book a table at the Tasting Room.
