It had been a while since my baking friends and I had a gathering. I suggested to come to my house this time for our gathering since I had moved to a new place last year. It was a simple gathering with potluck where they cook and bake very delicious food. We had curry devil, scotch eggs, chutney, mango cake and sakura panna cotta. I also made lemongrass drink and a salad. They were all yummy homemade goodies. And of course, we also had some store bought food too! With these group of baking and cooking experts, I decided baking a roast chicken might suit their taste. So I made Jamie Oliver's Roast Chicken with roast vegetables. I was glad they like it! The roast chicken was soft and tender and flavourful. The roast vegetables were crisp but soft. This is truly one easy and impressive dish to whip up for a function!
Recipe for Roast Chicken with roast vegetables, adapted from Jamie Oliver.
Ingredients:
1 large fresh Chicken
2 medium onions
2 carrots
1 bulb garlic
1 lemon
1 bunch of fresh Rosemary herbs
Olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
Paprika
2 large Sweet Potatoes, cut randomly
3 Potatoes, cut in wedges
2 Zucchini
1 packet Cherry tomatoes
Method:
1. Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before you want to cook it, to let it come up to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
3. Wash and roughly chop the vegetables.Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled.
4. Pile all the veg, garlic and herbs into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with oil.
5. Drizzle the chicken with oil and season well with sea salt, black pepper and paprika, then rub all over the bird. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
6. Carefully prick the lemon all over, using the tip of a sharp knife. Put the lemon inside the chicken’s cavity, with the bunch of herbs.
7. Place the tray in the oven, then turn the heat down immediately to 200°C and cook for 45mins.
8. Add in the vegetables after 45mins of cooking. The vegetables would have been mixed with olive oil, black pepper, salt and paprika.
9. Continue cooking for another 45mins.
10. When the chicken is cooked, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the chicken to a board to rest for 15 minutes or so.
11. To carve your chicken, carefully cut down between the leg and the breast. Cut through the joint and pull the leg off.
12. Repeat on the other side, then cut each leg between the thigh and the drumstick.
13. Finally, arrange the chicken and the vegetable on a plate and serve.
I like to include potatoes in my Christmas baking. Mainly because it's the only source of carbohydrates...and a good natural source too. Usual years, I will bake gratin. However, when I saw Veronica's Hasselback Potatoes, I decided this has got to be the potato for this year!! My children loves Jack's Place baked potatoes, mainly because it has sour cream and bacons. So I knew this can't go wrong. Even if others don't like, I can count on my children! True to it, it was the most popular food on the Christmas table spread! We loved them very much.
Recipe for Hasselback Potatoes, adapted from Peng's Kitchen.
(Makes for 6 persons)
Ingredients:
6 Russet potatoes, washed & scrubbed cleanly
8 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Rock salt
1 tsp Parmesan & Garlic herbs
Freshly grinded black pepper
6 Bacon rashers, pan fried till crisp & brown
150g Cheddar cheese (I mixed 150g cheddar and mozzarella cheese)
200g Sour cream
2 sprigs Spring onion, chopped
Method:
1. Using a shape knife, slice the potatoes thinly without cutting all the way through. Refer to Veronica's picture.
2. Combine olive oil, salt, herbs, and pepper and mix thoroughly.
3. Spread the mixture evenly all over the potatoes.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 200C until the skin is crisp and tender inside, about 45 mins.
5. Meanwhile cook the bacon until crispy and crumble it.
6. Sprinkle the potatoes with the cheese and return to the oven until the cheese has melted, about 10 mins.
7. Top with sour cream, bacon bits and spring onions.
This post is submitted to "My Treasured Recipes #4 - Ho Ho Ho It's Christmas (Dec 2014)" hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House.
This post is linked to "Cook and Celebrate: Christmas 2014" organised by Cook & Celebrate Christmas 2014 hosted by Bake For Happy Kids, Eat Your Heart Out and Domestic Goddess Wannabe.
