Got a chicken to roast this afternoon - can anyone inspire me to do something slightly more interesting than the usual spuds and two veg with it?

[poachedeggs]

That's it really. Normally we have gravy (homemade natch ), mashed or boiled tatties, carrots and peas. It's the DC's favourite dinner after spag bol and pizza but it's so boooring.

I have courgettes, peppers, mushrooms, corn on the cob, onion, garlic, a leek, the usual spices and stuff.

I suppose I could also do Yorkshire puds with it ....

I love your scales shirleyknot
What brand are they?
Have you a link?
must not buy kitchen equipment

ERRR. I think I got them in TK Maxx like everything I own

I'll have a look for you Netto and get back to you.

Im making spatchcock Piri Piri chicken tonight.

With sweet potato wedges, fine green beans, sweetcorn and carrot batons.

Piri Piri marinade;

Olive oil
lemon juice
wine vinegar
chili flakes
crushed garlic
salt
thyme [fresh]
paprika
black pepper

This thread inspired me to go and buy a fresh chicken!

either poach with lardons whole head of garlic thyme potatos and stock, or

roast upside down for most of the tine at 200 with a little water in tray and do a pilaff with rice onions, cinammon allspice stock raisins and serve with green beans/chard and a thinned sumac garlic yoghurt or tahini thinned sauce. as god herself, claudia roden does

I'll 'fess up and tell you that I took DS to see Brave last night and left DH to deal with the chicken . If anyone was wondering, he did Hugh's chickpea curry and potato wedges with it apparently.

Brave is AMAZING.

Any inspired ideas for half a chicken?!

This is DH grandmother's recipe. You really need a boiling chicken but ordinary will do.....
Take chicken put into big pot of water with salt, pepper and bay leaf. Boil. After an hour add 4 or 5 whole carrots and a leek cut into 3. Carry on cooking.
When the meat is tender take out another pan an fry some rice in butter I find uncle bens rice works best for this. Coat the rice in butter and add the stock from the chicken so 1 cup of rice = 2 cups of stock. Leave to simmer. Take another pan and mix flour and butter until a paste is formed. Add stock from the pan and stir. When your sauce has thickened add the juice of one or two lemon taste to check. At this point you can add some creme fraiche to the sauce but its already very rich.
Spoon the rice onto a platter, roughly joint the chicken and put onto the rice with the vegetables and spoon over some of the sauce, the rest of the sauce into a gravy boat. And voila a Poule au Riz
Bon appetit

Forgot to add the left over stock makes lovely stock.

Soup

That sounds absolutely gorgeous.