Herb Roasted Chicken + Plums

It’s officially the season of cozy evenings, and heart warming food. I’ve been meaning to cook a roast, but always thought it would be a bigger task than I felt ready for. But cravings have to be satisfied, so I decided to play it my way, and have since then realised that a roast is one of the least effort dishes to cook, that can nonetheless add a big wow factor to a dinner table. This roast here only requires you to marinate the chicken, then toss in the other bits and off it goes into the oven. Cooking chicken with the skin, especially in a roast, helps with a beautiful crisp outer layer. And the plums add a lovely sweetness + mild sour tang that accentuates the flavour of the chicken. The chicken, plums and onions all release a fair amount of liquid, like a self-sauce. Using the sauce from the roast, we make a quick gravy using some cream for the side, and voilà, dinner is served!

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Ingredients

  • 1.2 kg chicken, with skin and bone

For the marinade

  • 2 tsp turmeric powder

  • 2 tsp black pepper

  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder

  • 1 tsp allspice powder

  • 3/4 tsp salt

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

For the roast

  • 3 small red onions, cut into wedges

  • 7-8 small plums, halved pits removed

  • 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

  • 4-5 sprigs thyme, stems removed

  • 6-7 sprigs rosemary, stems removed

For the gravy

  • 4 tbsp double cream

Method of Preparation

  1. Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a large mixing bowl. Clean the chicken and add to the marinade. Cover and allow it to rest for 2 hours at room temperature.

  2. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C fan. Oil a 36x27cm roasting tin, and set aside. Add the remaining ingredients for the roast to the marinated chicken. Mix gently, and transfer to the roasting tin, making sure to add any liquid from the marinade as well. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and baste the chicken + onions + plums with gravy from the bottom of the tin. Return to the oven, and roast for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.

  3. Drain two-thirds of the gravy from the roasting tin into a small sauce pan. Add the double cream, and stir on a medium heat. Allow the gravy to thicken, and as it does you’ll notice the colour darkens. Turn off the heat, and serve hot with the roast chicken and plums.