bohemianwanderer – This comforting one-pan roast chicken combines crispy golden skin with smoky bacon. Sweet shallots, tender peas, braised romaine lettuce and a rich cider-infused sauce. Perfect for a family meal, the dish serves four and pairs beautifully with crusty bread for soaking up the flavorful juices.
Prepare and Roast the Chicken
Rub a whole 1.6kg chicken all over with olive oil and season generously inside and out with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Fill the cavity with a generous handful of fresh thyme sprigs and the cloves from one smashed garlic bulb. Leave the chicken at room temperature for one hour before cooking. This helps it roast more evenly.
When ready to cook, place the chicken in a heavy-based ovenproof pan over low heat. Cook for about 15 minutes, allowing the underside to become golden brown. This step gives the legs a head start, helping them cook evenly with the breast meat.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the chicken for 40 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven, take the thyme and garlic out of the cavity. And place them around the chicken in the pan.
Return the chicken to the oven for another 10 minutes, basting once halfway through, until the skin is crisp. Deeply golden, and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced.
Transfer the chicken, thyme and garlic to a serving plate and allow everything to rest while preparing the vegetables and sauce.
Make the Cider, Bacon and Pea Sauce
Place five rashers of thick-cut smoked streaky bacon into the same roasting pan and cook gently over medium heat until crisp and golden. Add six sliced shallots along with a pinch of salt, cooking until they become soft and lightly caramelised.
If needed, add a splash of water to loosen the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, incorporating all the flavorful roasting juices into the sauce.
Sprinkle in half a teaspoon of plain flour and stir continuously for a few minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
Pour in one large glass of dry cider and simmer until the liquid has reduced by approximately half. Add 500ml of chicken stock, 500g of fresh or frozen peas, and one romaine lettuce cut into quarters.
You can either return the pan to the oven at 160°C (140°C fan) for 45 minutes or gently simmer everything on the stovetop over low heat for about 35 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has developed plenty of flavour.
Taste and adjust the seasoning before stirring through a handful of freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley.
Serve with Crusty Bread
Carve the rested roast chicken into serving portions and arrange them on a large platter. Serve alongside the braised peas, lettuce, bacon and cider sauce, spooning plenty of the cooking juices over the chicken.
Accompany the meal with slices of crusty bread to soak up the rich sauce, and, if desired, enjoy it with a chilled glass of dry cider.
The combination of succulent roast chicken, smoky bacon, sweet peas, tender lettuce and aromatic cider sauce creates a hearty yet elegant dish that is ideal for weekend lunches or relaxed family dinners.
