Ingredients
1.8kg chicken
Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 bunches flat-leaf parsley
3 sticks celery, chopped
1 swede, peeled, chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled, chopped
4 carrots, peeled, chopped
2 cups pumpkin, peeled, chopped
2 parsnips, peeled, chopped
4 bay leaves
1 bunch thyme, leaves picked
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
125g unsalted butter at room temperature
½ cup walnuts, chopped
2 cups baby spinach leaves
Method
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Preheat oven to 210°C fan-forced (230°C conventional). Season chicken, rub with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Put 1 parsley bunch into chicken cavity. Arrange celery and swede in middle of large roasting pan; set chicken on top. Bake 20 minutes.
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Toss potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, parsnips, bay leaves and thyme in remaining oil, season, then scatter on a second roasting tray. Reduce heat to 190°C fan-forced (210°C conventional). Add vegetables to oven with chicken and roast for 1 hour 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, combine zest with butter and a little salt. Beat well.
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Remove chicken from oven (chicken is cooked when juices run clear when pierced in the hip), drizzle chicken with lemon juice; loosely cover with foil. Return both trays of vegetables to oven, bake for a further 15 minutes.
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Stir walnuts, spinach and remaining parsley bunch leaves (picked) through vegetables. Serve chicken with vegies and lemon butter.