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Roasted lemon chicken

Michael Caines from Market Kitchen
Michael Caines caramelises whole chicory in the oven while his lemon-scented chicken is roasting for a perfect pairing

Roasted lemon chicken

Method

1. For the roast lemon chicken: preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.

2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and put ½ a lemon, the garlic and lemon thyme inside. Put into a roasting tray, smear its surface with the softened butter.

3. Roast in the oven, basting from time to time, until cooked. This should take 20 minutes per 500g, plus 20 minutes. When ready, the juices should run clear if you pierce the leg with the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven and leave to rest.

4. Deglaze the roasting pan with a little water and a squeeze of lemon juice.

5. For the caramelised chicory: while the chicken is roasting, sweat the onion in half the butter and salt in an ovenproof pan until soft, without allowing it to colour.

6. Add the water, sugar, chicken stock and bouquet garni. Stir and add the prepared chicory. Bring to the boil.

7. Cover with tin foil and put in the oven with the chicken for about 30 minutes, until tender and soft.

8. Remove from the oven and leave the chicory to cool on a rack. Once cool, cut the chicory in half. Heat the remaining butter in a frying pan, add the chicory and cook until caramelised.

9. Serve the caramalised chicory with the roast chicken and spoon over the chicken pan juices.

Cook's note: you can make your own bouquet garni by wrapping a celery stalk, parsley stalk, thyme sprig and bay leaf in an outer layer of leek and tying it with string.