Summer Roast Chicken with Pesto New Potatoes

Sundays are the perfect time to get family together but when it’s hot outside, a roast dinner just isn’t what people fancy. This is a lighter and (we think) easier alternative to a traditional roast.

Summer Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

• 12 chicken thighs (allow for 3 per person)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Juice and rind of a lemon
• Handful of fresh thyme (leaves only)
• Large glass of wine
• Olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Method:

• Trim the excess fat from the chicken thighs using a pair of scissors, then put the thighs in a large bowl ready for the marinade.
• Crush the garlic and add to the bowl along with the lemon juice, lemon rind, thyme and seasoning. Get stuck in with your hands and ensure all the chicken is coated, then cover. The chicken can be left in the marinade from 30 minutes to overnight before cooking.

• When you’re ready to start cooking, take the chicken out of the fridge and pre-heat the oven to about 180 degrees (Gas Mark 5).
• Place the thighs on a baking tray with a little bit of room between each to allow the fat to go crispy. Carefully pour the wine in to the bottom of the tray and cook in the oven for about 35 minutes.

Once the chicken is in, you can start preparing the potatoes. Timing wise you have about 20 minutes in between cooking the chicken and the potatoes so it’s a good slot to prepare the vegetables or salad to go with it. We recommend Green Bean Salad with Mustardy Dressing and Tzatziki

• Once the chicken has been cooking for 20 minutes (set a timer if you’re being organised), bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
• Chop any bigger ones in half and add the potatoes to the pan. Boil for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through then drain.
• After 35 minutes, take the chicken out of the oven and transfer to a plate, covering loosely with a sheet of tin foil. Pour the juices from the bottom of the roasting tray in to a saucepan and leave on the hob ready to make the gravy.
• Put the potatoes in to the roasting tin, add a tablespoon of olive oil (not extra virgin) and plenty of salt and pepper, then toss everything around to ensure the potatoes are evenly coated. Turn the oven up to 200 degrees (Gas Mark 6) and roast for 20 minutes.
• Once the potatoes are looking golden, transfer in to a large bowl or dish and add a heaped tablespoon of green pesto. Stir the pesto through the potatoes and take to the table.

Now would be a good time to shout ‘dinner’s ready’ and get a helper to set the table.

• Heat up the cooking juices from the chicken until the gravy starts to thicken slightly then pour over the top of the thighs. Finish with some chopped parsley if you love it as much as us. Take everything to the table with lots of serving spoons.

I think this would be good with a classic green salad as an alternative, or try some steamed carrots and broccoli if you prefer a less calorific lunch. Wine wise, lots of whites would work well. We had a White Rioja (Spanish) and a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (Australian) on the go during cooking and eating.