Sunday Roast - fast chicken

Sunday Roast doesn't need to be a ball ache. It's actually really simple. This recipe is a fast one for chicken thighs. I'll do another post for other meats and for veggie versions as well as traditional whole chicken.


For 4 people:

8 chicken thighs (use any leftovers for Monday lunch)
4 cloves garlic, whole
1 lemon cut into wedges (optional)
Thyme or rosemary sprigs (optional)
Salt and pepper
Oil

Gravy granules

8 potatoes, cut into quarters

peas/carrots, whatever veg you like.


Preheat the oven to around 200c and put a baking tray in there to heat up. 

Boil the potatoes on the hob until they are very slightly soft around the edges (about 5 mins from boiling).

Drain the potatoes and flap them about a bit in the pan to rough the edges a bit.

Put the chicken thighs, garlic and other bits if using into a baking tray and drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Add the potatoes to this tray if big enough but preferably in a different baking tray, hot from the oven.

Put them in the oven for about 20 mins (check the chicken thigh packet for exact timings). The potatoes will take about 20 mins.

Turn everything at least once during cooking. Get the other veg on just before the rest is done.

When the chicken is cooked, take it out and set aside on a plate.  Make up a small mug of gravy and add it to the pan that the meat was on and put in on the hob. Thing the gravy with water fromt eh veg pan and mix it all together until it looks like gravy.

Serve it, eat it, have a nap whilst someone else does the washing up.

Leftover fresh herbs?

When you've bought a big bunch of various herbs for something but perhaps not used them all and they're looking a bit sad in the fridge, you can easily whizz them up for a salsa verde or bung them in a stock, depending on what you are planning to cook or what you have just cooked. Or just preserve them for later use.

Salsa Verde

This is an ideal sauce to spoon on top of fish or have as a side for a BBQ. It will keep for a day or two in the fridge and if you have any leftover, you can use it in place of pesto for a super speedy and cheap pasta dish.

Handfuls of various fresh herbs ie coriander, parsley, mint, dill...

A splash of vinegar (cider, white wine, red wine...)

A glug of olive oil

A few anchovies (if you have them- you can use leftover anchovies to make bag a caude or stick them in other sauces etc)

A few capers (if you have them)

Salt and pepper to taste

Just whizz them all up in a food processor or mini chopper and keep tasting until you like it. It should be fresh and a little tart and salty.

Stock

Stock is easy to make and you can freeze it for later uses. It tastes so much better than those dry stock cubes and is an excellent way to use up odds  and ends to transform a soup or casserole on a rainy day when you have very little money left.

Leftover herb stalks/leaves

Veg peelings/old carrot ends, celery ends etc (any veg you have lurking about except potatoes really)

About 5-10 peppercorns

A couple of whole garlic cloves

An onion cut into wedges (no need to peel)

Any bones from recent meat OR fish heads/tails - you can keep this veggie or make it from a chicken carcass or for future fish sauces with fish heads, making it a perfect way to use every bit of your previous meal.

 You can also chuck in allspice berries, a chilli, a cinnamon stick etc; you can tweak it however you like depending on your taste and what you have in the cupboard!

Put the whole lot in a big pan and cover with water. Bring it to the boil and then turn down the heat and let it simmer for about an hour, loosely covered.

Strain it into a jug to decant into freezer bags or plastic pots to freeze when cool.  Be careful to strain it into a jug rather than down the sink by accident, as I have done so many times!

Frozen

If you buy a big bunch of herbs it's cheaper and then you can freeze what you don't use first time for future use. This only really works with tender herb such as mint, parsley, coriander, tarragon...

Just wash, chop and put in a freezer bag.  It's a good idea to label it as all herbs look pretty much the same when frozen.

Dried

Dried herbs taste different to fresh or frozen but are really useful in cooked dishes. This is a good way not to waste anything and is cheaper than buying them already dried. Especially if you grew them yourself in the first place!

Rinse then pat dry a bunch of the same herb with the stalks on.  Tie a piece of string around the bottom of the stalks and then hang up somewhere warmish and dry until they are completely dry and crispy.  Either leave them where they dangle or store them in airtight containers to lengthen their life.