One Pot Roast Chicken with Fennel, New Potatoes & Pesto

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C

Set a large casserole dish that can go in the oven over a medium-high heat and add 1 tbs rapeseed oil. Brown the chicken on all sides until golden and set aside on a plate.

Add the fennel, potatoes, garlic, shallots and half the thyme to the casserole and give them a quick stir. Place half of the lemon in the chicken cavity with the remaining thyme and place the browned chicken on top of the vegetables. Pour in the wine and chicken stock, put the lid on the casserole (or cover with foil) and place in the oven to cook for 30 minutes.

Make the pesto by combining all the pesto ingredients in a food processor and blitzing to a coarse paste. Taste and adjust the seasoning as required. Set aside. (A good quality shop bought PESTO will work beautifully too if you’re short on time or ingredients).

Remove the casserole dish from the oven and season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Return to the oven with the lid off and cook for a further 20 minutes until the skin is golden. When cooked, remove the chicken and and vegetables from the casserole and arrange on a warm plate. Cover with foil and rest.

Return the casserole to the heat and bring the juices back to the boil. Check the seasoning and add the juice of the remaining half a lemon. Whisk in the grain mustard, if using, and pour into a jug to serve. Once the chicken has rested, carve and serve with the vegetables. Top with generous spoonfuls of pesto and a glug of jus.

In spring, we pair succulent organic chicken with a wild garlic and new season Jersey Royal potatoes, in summer we make pesto from fresh basil or other soft herbs (our BASIL PESTO works beautifully), in autumn and winter we might swap in other root vegetables to replace the fennel and potatoes.

Remember to use any leftover jus and the carcass of the chicken to make a nourishing stock for another time.