Lulu’s roast chicken with ginger, pasta, tomatoes and the roasting juices

(from Elyce123’s recipe box)

Source: delicious. February 2004

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 100 minutes
Serves 4 people

Categories: February

Ingredients

  • 450g vine-ripened tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1.5kg free-range chicken
  • 1 tbsp finely grated fresh root ginger
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 50ml dry white wine
  • 350g penne
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed, then chopped
  • large handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 230˚C/fan 210˚C/gas 8. Peel, deseed and coarsely chop the tomatoes. Toss them in a colander withe the salt and set aside for 1 hour.

  2. Season the inside of the chicken cavity with salt and pepper, then smear the inside with the grated ginger. Put the chicken into a roasting tin, rub all over with a little of the olive oil and season with some salt and freshly ground black pepper.

  3. t the chicken for 20 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 180˚C/fan 160˚C/gas 4. Discard the excess fat from the roasting tin by pouring it off then pour in a little lemon juice over the chicken. Return the chicken to the oven and roast for a further 45 minutes, basting now and then with the rest of the lemon juice and then the white wine, until the juices run clear when pierced with a skewer.

  4. 15 minutes before the chicken is ready, cook the pasta in plenty of well-salted (1 teaspoon per 600ml) boiling water for about 12 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until al dente.

  5. Meanwhile, put the rest of the olive oil and the garlic into a large frying pan and place it over a high heat. As soon as the garlic starts to sizzle, add the tomatoes and toss over a high heat until they are dry and give off a nice caramelised smell. Add the basil, toss again and remove from the heat.

  6. Drain the pasta well. Remove the chicken from the oven, lift it out on to a board and pour away any excess fat from the tin, if necessary. Add the tomatoes, cooked pasta and a little black pepper to the roasting tin and turn everything together well so as to release all the roasting juices from the base of the tin.

  7. Carve the roast chicken, then divide between four warm serving plates. Spoon some of the pasta alongside and serve with a green salad.

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