Roast Chicken, Potatoes and Peppers with Lemon and Paprika

There are few greater joys than a perfectly roast chicken... Crispy skin, juicy meat perfumed with a little lemon... I don't know about you but I'm salivating!

Often we save this pleasure for best or as part of a complicated full roast dinner but it doesn't always need to be. This dish is really easy and totally hassle-free - all you need to do is peel and chop a few potatoes and look after the chicken as it cooks and you can have a little taste of heaven on the table any day of the week!

Roast Chicken, Potatoes and Peppers with Lemon and Paprika
Serves 4-6

oil

1 whole chicken (about 2kg)

1 lemon

4 large potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks

1 onion, sliced

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp dried oregano

rocket, to serve

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C. Drizzle a little oil in large roasting tin then place the chicken on top. Remove any string, cut the lemon in half and stuff into the cavity of the chicken. Drizzle oil over the chicken then season liberally with salt. Cook the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Once the chicken has had 20 minutes, bring it out and scatter the potatoes, peppers and onion slices around the chicken. Sprinkle the paprika over the potatoes and then sprinkle the oregano over everything, including the chicken. Season the veg with salt and then the whole lot with black pepper.

Turn the oven down to 180C then return the tray to the oven. Cook for 20 minutes then spin the tray around and cook for a final 20 minutes. Check the chicken is cooked - the juice should run clear - then remove to a board or plate to rest covered in cling film. 

Return the potato, pepper and onion mix to the oven to crisp up for a final 15 minutes whilst the chicken rests. To serve, carve the chicken and divide between plates. Spoon the veg alongside, add a handful of rocket (if you like) then pour over the juices from the roasting tin. Heaven!