This is exactly the same as roasting a whole chicken other than the fact that you don’t have to carve it. If you only have one roasting dish serve boiled potatoes instead (new potatoes would be good if they are in season)

Serves 4-6
Time: About an hour and a quarter
Cost: £1.50-£2 a head

1.25 kg potatoes
6 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil or inexpensive olive oil
1 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks or chicken legs, free-range if possible
1/2 tsp dried oregano or thyme (optional)
8 streaky bacon rashers
4 cloves of garlic (optional)
400-454g pack of good quality sausages
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6

Peel the potatoes, halve or quarter them depending how big they are to give you even-sized pieces and place in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil (about 5 minutes). Add a little salt and boil for 5 minutes then strain off as much of the water as you can easily pour into a jug and strain the rest of the potatoes in a colander or sieve. Put 4 tbsp of oil into a roasting tin and tip in the potatoes, turning them in the oil.

Pour the remaining oil in another tin then put in the chicken pieces. Turn them in the oil and season with salt, pepper and a little thyme.

Put both the tins in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Cut the rind off the bacon rashers if necessary then stretch each rasher by running the blunt edge of the knife along the rasher. When 30 minutes is up take out the tin with the chicken, turn over the chicken pieces and season them on the other side. Add the garlic cloves, if using, the sausages and arrange the bacon rashers over the top. Replace the tin in the oven. Take out the potato tin, turn the potatoes and put them back in the oven.

After another 15 minutes turn over the sausages, turn the heat up to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7 and continue to cook until the potatoes and bacon are crisp (about another 15 minutes) In the meantime make some gravy (twice the quantity of the basic recipe here)  and cook whatever veg you’re serving (frozen peas would be fine).

 

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