Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has whipped up the ultimate budget-friendly Sunday lunch that won’t put a squeeze on family finances.
The culinary maestro and father of five, has opted for a less expensive part of the bird, saying: “chicken thighs are on the cheaper side when it comes to meat, so I’m bigging them up here to create something extraordinary.”
His innovative ‘Energy Saving Chicken Roast’ is not only a cost-cutter but also energy-efficient, making use of the microwave where possible.
This “winner, winner, chicken dinner”, as Jamie fondly dubs it, is a step-by-step delight leading to a marvellous roast complete with all the trimmings: luscious chicken, crunchy spuds, a bounty of veggies and mouth-watering homemade gravy.
At 556 calories per serving and packing a punch with 27 grams of protein, this little beauty can be ready and on the table in just one hour and fifteen minutes.
To recreate Jamie’s ‘Energy Saving Chicken Dinner’ at home, here is what you will need:
INGREDIENTS:
- Three onions
- One rasher of smoked back bacon
- Olive oil
- Six chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
- Seven carrots
- 1.2kg potatoes
- Two teaspoons dried sage
- Two tablespoons cranberry sauce
- Three teaspoons English mustard
- Three slices of stale white bread (150g)
- One sweetheart cabbage
- One heaped tablespoon plain flour
- 480g frozen peas
Jamie adds: “Swap out the cranberry sauce for horseradish sauce, mint sauce or pesto – use whatever you’ve got to hand and see where you end up.”
METHOD:
Begin by peeling and thickly slicing 2 onions, and roughly chopping the bacon. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil into a large non-stick frying pan on medium heat, then add the bacon and cook for three minutes.
Add the sliced onions with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes before setting aside to cool. Meanwhile, carefully debone the thigh meat using a sharp knife, placing the bones in a roasting tray measuring 40cm x 30cm.
Speed-peel and add the carrots (saving the peelings), and peel and quarter the remaining onion. Toss the carrots, their peelings and the onions into the tray with a teaspoon of oil, ensuring the carrots and bones are on top.
Scrub the potatoes, prick them with a fork and microwave on high heat (800W) for 15 minutes, or until they start to soften. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
Sprinkle some salt and most of the sage over the chicken, cover with greaseproof paper, then bash with a rolling pin to flatten to 1.5cm thick. Remove the paper, spread cranberry sauce over the chicken, spread a teaspoon of mustard over each slice of bread, cut in half and lay each piece over each thigh, then sprinkle over the bacon and onions.
Roll the thighs to encase the filling, secure with string or cocktail sticks and place in a second 40cm x 30cm roasting tin. Crush the potatoes gently with a masher and fit them into the spaces.
Drizzle two tablespoons of oil over them, sprinkle with the remaining sage and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast on the oven’s middle shelf for an hour, or until the potatoes are golden and the chicken is cooked through, basting halfway.
With 40 minutes left, put the bone tray on the bottom shelf to roast simultaneously.
Meanwhile, trim the cabbage, halve it lengthways, then slice each half into three wedges. Place these on top of the carrots and roast for 20 minutes, or until charred.
Set aside one roasted cabbage and carrot for later, then add the remaining carrots to the chicken tray to continue roasting.
Boil the kettle. Put the bone tray on medium-low heat.
Mash the carrot into the juices with a potato masher, then mix in the flour. Gradually add 750ml of boiling water, stirring and scraping up any gnarly bits from the bottom.
Season to taste, then let it simmer to your preferred consistency, stirring regularly. Strain through a sieve into a jug.
When you’re nearly ready to serve, spread the frozen peas in a single layer in the frying pan, drizzle with 1 teaspoon of oil and arrange the roasted cabbage on top. Cover and place on high heat to steam for 8 minutes, or until piping hot.
Take off the string from the chicken, cut each thigh into three pieces, bring everything to the table and serve.
