There’s not much I love more than getting up on a Sunday to put something in the oven, then out for breakfast, pub in the afternoon and returning to a house smelling delicious and as if someone else has made it for you – something perfectly slow roasted, ready to take out the oven and devour!

This was one of those Sundays, I’d never actually slow roasted chicken before and the idea appealed to me as it gave us ample time to walk to the local pub, have a drink in the sun and get back again feeling hungry!

The recipe for the chicken is Nigella’s (but it’s so easy, I could have made this up). The idea for the broccoli came from the restaurant ‘Rockwell and Sons’ where I first had broccoli cooked in this manner, but theirs is quite sweet – I can’t remember how they made it but it involved pretzels crumbled on top…..I will have to go back for their recipe! (What a shame) NOT. I had similar Brussels in the restaurant ‘Porteno’s’ in Sydney….even though it’s a bit of a haze (which might have something to do with the fact we had to wait 3 hours for a table) which was spent in a wine bar….I do remember something of the taste, which was of maple and charcoal. Everyone said of Porteno’s ‘You MUST try the sprouts’ so they obviously make a lasting impression (and that’s quite good for sprouts I suppose).

Let’s get straight to the nitty gritty, as I’d rather you read the recipe than my waffle…..as I’d love for you to make it! I’ve separated all 3 dishes, just in case you’d like to ‘mix and match’. I also made pilau rice, as we can’t live without carbs….it went very well, but roast potatoes would also work a treat.

Ingredients for slow-roasted garlic, lemon and thyme chicken Serves 4

• 1 x 2-2.25kg chicken, cut into 10 pieces (feel free to ask your butcher to do this bit)
• 1 head of garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves
• 2 unwaxed lemons, cut into 8 wedges each
• Fresh thyme
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 150ml white wine

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C.

Put your chicken pieces in a roasting tin and add the garlic cloves, lemon and thyme.

Add the oil and mix it all together with your hands and spread it out, ensuring all the chicken is skin side up.

Sprinkle over the white wine and grind on lots of salt and pepper then cover tightly with foil.

Cook in the oven for 2 hours then remove the foil, turn up the oven to 200°C and cook for a further 30-45 minutes.

The skin should have turned golden brown and the lemons should be caramelised around the edges.

Sprinkle over some extra thyme and serve straight away!

 

Ingredients for Maple Bacon Brussel Sprouts Serves 4

• 4 handfuls of Brussel sprouts, halved
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 smoky bacon rashers, chopped small
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 shallots, chopped finely (optional)

Method

Add your oil to a large frying pan and when hot, add your shallots (if using) and cook until softened before adding your sprouts.

After about 4 minutes, add the bacon and cook until it has started to brown and crisp up.

Add your maple syrup, with a pinch of salt and cook for a further 5 minutes until your Brussels have caramelized and started to turn crispy.

Serve immediately.

Sun Burnt Garlicky Broccoli

Ingredients Serves 4

• 2 heads of broccoli, divided into bite sized florets
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 5 cloves of garlic, minsed
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Add your broccoli to a large bowl and toss in the olive oil and garlic, then mix well. Transfer to a baking dish and season well.

When oven is up to temperature, bake the broccoli for about 20 minutes, giving it a mix halfway through and adding chilli flakes (if using). The broccoli should be tender and have browned/blackened around the edges and turned crispy when ready.

Remove from oven and sprinkle over lemon juice before serving.