
Roast a whole chicken for this low-calorie lunch or dinner and save the leftovers for later - swap the chicken with hard-boiled eggs for a vegetarian version.
Nutrition and extra info
- Gluten-free
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal477
- fat8g
- saturates1g
- carbs65g
- sugars37g
- fibre14g
- protein29g
- salt0.6g
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
Lemon
le-monOval in shape, with a pronouced bulge on one end, lemons are one of the most versatile fruits…
- 1½ kg whole chicken (free-range or organic), fat from inside the neck cavity removed
Chicken
chik-enChicken's many plus points - its versatility, as well as the ease and speed with which it…
- 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves (reserve the stalks)
Parsley
par-sleeOne of the most ubiquitous herbs in British cookery, parsley is also popular in European and…
- 2 sweet potatoes (175g/6oz each)
Sweet potato
sweet po-tate-toeSweet potatoes have a creamy texture and a sweet-spicy flavour that makes them ideal for savoury…
- 2 red onions, cut into wedges
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
Fennel seeds
feh-nell seedsA dried seed that comes from the fennel herb, fennel seeds look like cumin seeds, only greener,…
- 7 whole garlic cloves
- 2 tsp extra virgin rapeseed oil
Rapeseed oil
If you want a light alternative to other cooking oils, rapeseed is a great choice and has…
- 125g bag baby spinach, washed
- 4 heaped tbsp pomegranate seeds
Method
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Grate the zest and squeeze the juice from the lemon into 2 bowls, then push the wedges inside the cavity of the chicken with the parsley stalks. Put the chicken in a roasting tin and roast for 30 mins.
Meanwhile, scrub the sweet potatoes (no need to peel) and cut into chunks. Put in another roasting tin with the onions, fennel, and 6 whole garlic cloves, then toss with the oil. When the chicken has had its 30 mins, put the potatoes in the oven and roast for 30-40 mins more.
Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining garlic clove for the gremolata, then mix with the lemon zest and parsley. Mix the lemon juice, oil and some black pepper in a bowl.
Remove the chicken and potatoes from the oven. Cover the chicken and leave to rest. Stir half the gremolata mix into the lemon juice and oil. Stir the spinach through the potato mix and return to the oven for 2 mins to wilt. Tip into the lemon dressing and toss well. Carve a chunk of breast meat from the chicken (you need about 140g), remove the skin, then cut into pieces. Toss into the salad with the pomegranate seeds, then serve scattered with the remaining gremolata.
Comments, questions and tips