Roast Chicken with Lemon, Thyme, Garlic & Smashed Potatoes

Sometimes I crave a good hearty roast. I like them because they are easy to do and I never really follow recipes to prepare a roast. I did last night though. It was different from our usual roasts but oh so yummy... And yes, it is another Karen Martini recipe - I sure am getting my monies worth out of her cookbook!!

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients

8 medium Desiree potatoes

1 x 1.3 to 1.6 kg free-range chicken

60g butter, chopped

8 sprigs thyme, crushed

salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

200ml extra virgin olive oil (I didn't use that much!)

1 lemon, halved

3 bulbs garlic, unpeeled and separated into cloves

1 brown onion, sliced into thick rings

1/2 cup (125 ml) water

green salad to serve

Method

Place unpeeled potatoes in a large saucepan of lightly salted water over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then cook for 25 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Preheat oven to 240C. Gently separate skin from the chicken breasts. Slide knobs of butter and half the thyme under the skin. Rub chicken with salt and pepper. Pour half the oil over the chicken. Squeeze half a lemon over chicken then place squeezed lemon inside cavity. Use the back of a large knife to lightly crush about a quarter of the garlic, then place crushed garlic in cavity. Scatter onion rings over the base of a baking dish and place the chicken on top. Slice remaining lemon half. Scatter lemon and remaining garlic around the chicken. Sprinkle the remaining thyme over chicken and into cavity.

Gently press potatoes with a potato masher until skins burst and they are about 2 cm thick. Place around chicken in baking dish, drizzle with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Pour water into baking pan. Roast chicken for 1 hour or until the juices run clear when flesh is pierced with a skewer. Remove from oven and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Carve the chicken, drizzle with the pan juices and serve with roast potatoes and garlic and a dressed green salad.

Serves 4