Bistro Chicken

Ingredients | Serves 3-4

1 whole chicken, room temp (I use Sutton Hoo chicken 2.1kg)

2 tbsp olive oil

3-4 shallots, skin removed, left whole

5 cloves garlic, skin on

1 lemon, halved

2 sprigs fresh thyme 

400ml chicken stock, hot

Salt and pepper 

⅓ cup cider (I used the golden cider by Cornish Orchards)

 3 potatoes (I used maris piper)

Vegetable oil 


Method

  1. Set oven to 200C and make sure the chicken is at room temperature. 

  2. In a roasting tray, add the shallots, garlic and thyme leaves. Place the chicken on top of the garlic cloves (so they don’t burn) and pour in the chicken stock. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and finish with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Place half the lemon inside the chicken cavity and the other half flat part down on the roasting tray. 

  3. Place the chicken in the oven for approximately 50 min-1 hour (depending on weight)

  4. Whilst the chicken is cooking, prepare the fries (I keep the skin on and just clean in some water). Slice into matchsticks using the julienne attachment on a mandolin. Place the potatoes in a large bowl of ice cold water and leave for about 10 minutes (this is to remove the starch).

  5. After 10 minutes place the potatoes on a tea towel and pat dry. 

  6. Place a saucepan on a medium high heat and add the oil (about 3 inches of oil). When it's hot, test with one of the potatoes and if it starts to sizzle add half the potatoes. Fry in 2 batches until golden. When cooked, place onto a plate topped with a paper towel and immediately season with salt. 

  7. Remove chicken from the oven and let it rest for a couple of minutes. Place the chicken on a chopping board and then place all the roasting juices as well as the shallots, garlic (skins removed) and lemon juice from half the roasted lemon into a saucepan. 

  8. Blend everything together using a handheld blender. Discard any skins that don’t blend. Place on a medium heat and bring to a steady simmer to thicken. 

  9. Add the cider to the sauce and some black pepper. Let this cook for a couple of minutes until the alcohol is cooked out and remove from the heat. 

  10. Serve up with extra black pepper and a side salad. 


Notes: here is the link to the mandolin I used https://www.amazon.co.uk/SupMaKin-Mandoline-Vegetable-Chopper-Artifact/dp/B09BKNQ4V4?th=1