Warming Mexican Inspired Sunday Chicken, Roasted Flavoursome Potatoes & Vegetables

Explore Anya’s journey as a local private chef at her business, Kitchen Sixteen, here.

Prep & cook time: 2 hours

Serves: 4 

Ingredients:

  • 100g / 3 ½ oz butter, at room temperature
  • 3 teaspoons Chipotle Paste
  • 3 large Suffolk potatoes, roughly chopped
  • 2 onions, roughly chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, crushed but left unpeeled
  • 2 red peppers, roughly chopped (Leeks can also be used here, as well as any Squashes cut to the same size as the potato to ensure even cooking)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1.6kg / 3.5 lb Suffolk Food Hall Whole Chicken
  • 2 limes, cut into chunks
  • 1 bunch of coriander leaves, roughly chopped

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F / Gas 6.

2. In a small bowl mix the butter with the chipotle paste and put to one side.

3. In a large ovenproof dish place the potatoes, onions, garlic and peppers; add olive oil, dried oregano and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper, ensuring all the gorgeous vegetables are coated evenly.

4. Time to prepare your chicken… use your fingers to carefully open the gap between the breasts and the skin and make 2 small pockets. Rub half of the chipotle butter into the pockets, then brush the remaining butter all over the chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Place the chicken over the vegetables and roast in the oven for 1 hour 20 minutes by which point it should be golden brown (this will vary depending on the size of the chicken). Once cooked, transfer to a platter, cover in foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving, this is an important step, it allows all the delicious chicken juices to finish marrying up with the vegetables below it.

6. Make sure the vegetables are cooked through by testing your largest piece of potato.

7. Return to the oven without the chicken, if they aren’t quite cooked. Leave the chicken wrapped well in foil to rest in the meantime.

8. When the vegetables are tender, use one lime to squeeze all over the chicken, and use chop the other lime into slices for your guests to squeeze themselves.

9. Then sprinkle with plenty of coriander. Put the chicken on top of the vegetables and serve.