Here is a wonderful roast chicken recipe where the chicken’s juices run into the baguette as it cooks, providing a real depth of flavour and crunch to the dish. The sage, lemon, garlic and artichokes are quintessential Mediterranean flavours and the mustard vinaigrette adds the perfect final touch. This is a great dish to share and I love to plate it up and let people help themselves almost as a tapas.
Roast chicken and potatoes with baguette, artichokes, sage and lemon
1 free-range organic chicken, brought to room temperature
100g butter, softened
12 sage leaves
1 tablespoon thyme
2 Desiree potatoes, thickly sliced
60ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
100ml chicken stock
1 half-size sourdough baguette, split lengthways, then halved crossways
1 head garlic, unpeeled cloves separated
5 globe artichokes
Juice 2 lemons
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Purslane or rocket leaves, to serve
Preheat oven to 190C. Starting from the neck end of the chicken, gently work your fingers between the skin and breast, being careful not to split the skin. Spread butter over the breast under the skin, the arrange sage leaves and thyme on top of the butter and press the skin down to seal. Truss legs together with kitchen twine.
Toss potato slices in a little olive oil and scatter in a small roasting pan, drizzle chicken stock over, then top with baguette pieces crust-side up and scatter garlic around. Place chicken on top of the bread and roast until the skin begins to turn golden (30 minutes), then reduce oven to 160C and roast until the chicken is golden and juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a skewer, and bread is golden and crusty (50 minutes). Set aside to rest, keeping warm (15-20 minutes).
Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Remove outer green leaves of the artichokes and peel the stalks, then place immediately into boiling water so that they don’t discolour. (You can also rub with lemon if the peeling process is a little slow.) Reduce heat to medium, weigh down artichokes with a plate and simmer until tender (10-15 minutes). Drain, cool, the cut each in half, remove hairy choke with a teaspoon, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and I teaspoon lemon juice. Set aside.
Whisk remaining lemon juice with extra-virgin olive oil and Dijon mustard, and season to taste.
Carve chicken and arrange on a platter. Coarsely chop bread and scatter over along with potatoes, garlic, artichokes, and salad leaves. Drizzle with the mustard vinaigrette, and serve warm.
