SERVES 6
PREPARATION 20 MINS
COOKING 1 HOUR 30 MINS
2tbsp vegetable oil
300g (10oz) pack pancetta cubetti
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 leeks, sliced into rounds
1 large chicken, around 2kg (4lb)
500ml (16fl oz) chicken stock
1 lemon quarter
½tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
8 small organic carrots, scrubbed
6 slices Parma ham, grilled until crisp
1. Heat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). Heat the oil in a large, heatproof casserole dish over a medium heat. Add pancetta, garlic
and leeks and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes, or until the leeks are slightly softened. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Add the chicken to the dish (breast side
up) and add the chicken stock to a depth
of 2cm (¾in). Add the lemon wedge and oregano and tuck in the bay leaves and carrots. Cover tightly with foil or with a lid, place in the oven and roast for 1½ hours, basting occasionally with the pan juices. Remove the lid 20 minutes before the end
of the cooking time to allow the chicken
skin to brown a little.
3. Remove the chicken and vegetables to
a warm dish and check the sauce. Discard the lemon quarter and garlic. Skim off any fat, adjust the seasoning and, if the sauce is too thin, reduce it over a high heat on the stove top. Pour the sauce into a gravy boat. Serve with the sauce, grilled slices of Parma ham, roast potatoes and steamed green vegetables.
TIP
You can turn this into a one-pot dish by adding potatoes with the carrots. The potatoes will be soft and absorb lots of the delicious juices from the chicken.