Maple-roasted chicken with hasselback sweet potatoes
Ingredients
1.8kg whole chicken
sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season
125g unsalted butter - softened, plus extra 125g
3/4 cup of maple syrup
juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch rosemary
8 small sweet potatoes
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 gloves of garlic, minced
1/4 bunch of thyme, finely choppd
heirloom tomato salad, to serve
Method
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Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius fan-forced. Pat chicken dry inside and out with kitchen paper, then season generously. Put butter, maple syrup and lemon juice in medium bowl and beat until combined.
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Use fingers to create a pocket between the breast skin and meat, then spoon in half the maple mixture. Place rosemary inside chicken cavity and arrange in roasting pan.
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Make a series of parallel incisions 5mm apart, three-quarters of the way through the sweet potatoes and arrange in a second roasting pan. Combine extra butter with olive oil, garlic and thyme in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Brush half of the mixture on to sweet potatoes.
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Put both pans in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Brush potatoes with a little more butter mixture and bake for 30 minutes more. Brush chicken with remaining maple mixture and potatoes with remaining butter mixture. Bake for a final 30 minutes. carve chicken and serve with sweet potatoes and heirloom tomato salad.
Want more tips for cooking roast chicken? Check our Nigella's tips below.
