One pot Christmas chicken served with roast potatoes

Serving: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 kg whole chicken

  • 25 ml (½ cup) sunflower oil

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

  • Juice of 2 lemons

  • 2 large onions, peeled and halved

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) dry oregano

  • 150 ml chicken stock

  • 4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered

  • 4 large garlic cloves, crushed

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

  2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub with 60ml (¼ cup) of the oil. Season well and place on a large roasting tray.

  3. Drizzle with half of the lemon and stick the onion and 1 bay leaf in the cavity of the chicken. Sprinkle with the oregano and pour 60ml of the stock into the pan. Cover with foil and roast for 50 minutes.

  4. Remove the tray from the oven and arrange the potatoes, garlic and 1 bay leaf around the chicken, drizzle with the remaining oil, lemon juice and season with extra oregano. Cover with foil and continue to roast for a further 40 minutes.

  5. Check the chicken and turn the potatoes over occasionally adding more stock if the tray gets too dry. Increase the oven to 220° and roast for a further 10 minutes until the chicken skin crisps up. Let the chicken rest, covered for 10 minutes before carving and serving with the potatoes.