Everyday dinner
Roast chicken with root vegetables and potatoes
A whole roast chicken with crisp potatoes, carrots, parsnips, red onions and gluten-free pan gravy.
Free guide: thirty gluten-free dinners, with the shopping lists
This complete roast dinner brings a whole chicken, crisp potatoes, sweet root vegetables and gluten-free pan gravy to the table together. Two roasting tins keep the potatoes from becoming crowded while the vegetables cook beneath the chicken.
This recipe is in development and has not yet been kitchen-tested. Check the chicken by its thickest parts rather than relying on time alone, and confirm that every packaged ingredient is labelled gluten-free.
The recipe
Roast chicken with root vegetables and potatoes
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 120 min
- Total*
- 150 min
- Makes
- 6 servings
*Estimated development timings. Allow the chicken to stand for 20 minutes before carving.
Ingredients
Tick things off as you go.
Chicken and vegetables
Gluten-free gravy
Equipment
- A large roasting tin is needed for the chicken and root vegetables.
- A second large roasting tin is needed for the potatoes.
- Use a large saucepan, colander and sturdy roasting spoon.
- Use a meat thermometer if one is available.
- A saucepan and whisk are needed for the gravy.
Let’s make it.
- 01
Heat the oven
Take the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before roasting. Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan. Put the carrots, parsnips, red onions, garlic and 4 thyme sprigs in the chicken roasting tin. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, half the salt and half the black pepper, then spread them into an even layer.
- 02
Prepare the chicken
Remove all packaging and any giblets from the chicken, but do not wash it. Set it breast-side up on the vegetables. Rub with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the remaining salt and pepper, then tuck the remaining thyme into the cavity. The skin should be evenly coated and the cavity must be empty apart from the thyme.
- 03
Start roasting
Roast the chicken and vegetables for 30 minutes. At the end of this first period, the chicken skin should have begun to colour and the vegetables should be sizzling around their edges.
- 04
Parboil the potatoes
While the chicken starts roasting, put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 8 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Shake them in the colander until their surfaces look rough and floury.
- 05
Roast the potatoes
Pour the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil into the second roasting tin and heat it in the oven for 5 minutes. Carefully add the potatoes; the oil should sizzle as they enter the tin. Turn each piece until coated, then spread them out without overlapping. Roast alongside the chicken for about 70 minutes, turning after 35 minutes, until deeply golden, crisp outside and soft when pierced.
- 06
Finish the chicken
Turn the root vegetables after the chicken has roasted for 60 minutes. Continue roasting the chicken for another 30 minutes, giving it about 90 minutes in total, then check the thickest part of the breast and the inner thigh without touching bone. It must be steaming hot throughout, with no pink meat and clear juices; a thermometer should read at least 75°C for 30 seconds. If it is not ready, roast for 10 minutes more and check again.
- 07
Rest and finish
Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean board, cover loosely with foil and leave it to stand for 20 minutes. Return the root vegetables to the oven while the chicken rests. They are ready when browned at the edges and tender when pierced; remove the garlic halves and squeeze the soft garlic from its skins into the roasting tin.
- 08
Make the gravy
Spoon excess fat from the chicken roasting tin, leaving the browned cooking juices and softened garlic behind. Set the tin over a low hob if it is hob-safe, or scrape everything into a saucepan. Pour in the hot gluten-free chicken stock and whisk while gently bubbling for 5 minutes, loosening the browned residue. Mix the cornflour with the cold water, whisk it into the stock and simmer for 2–3 minutes until the gravy coats the back of a spoon.
- 09
Carve and serve
Carve the rested chicken on the clean board, checking once more that the meat beside the thigh bone is fully cooked with no pink patches. Divide the chicken, crisp potatoes and roasted vegetables between six plates, then add the hot gravy. Each serving should contain chicken, potatoes and a mixture of the root vegetables.
Ingredient checks
Choose a chicken without added marinades, seasoning or stuffing unless these are explicitly labelled gluten-free. Check the chicken stock and cornflour labels for gluten-free suitability and declared allergens. Use clean equipment, preparation surfaces and serving utensils, and protect every ingredient from crumbs, shared oil and other sources of gluten cross-contact.
Allergens: Celery may be present in chicken stock; check the label.; Check the chicken stock for all other declared allergens and choose one labelled gluten-free..
Make it work for you
Replace the parsnips with the same weight of peeled swede cut into 3 cm pieces; its tenderness and cooking time need confirmation during kitchen testing.
Use an equivalent gluten-free vegetable stock instead of chicken stock if preferred, checking its allergen label before use.
Keep the stated chicken size and ingredient quantities for the first kitchen test because a differently sized bird will require a revised cooking time.
For another day
Do not leave the cooked chicken or vegetables at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
Cool leftovers promptly, transfer them to clean covered containers and refrigerate within 1–2 hours.
Eat refrigerated leftovers within 48 hours, or freeze them once fully cooled.
Defrost frozen leftovers thoroughly in the fridge and use them within 24 hours.
Reheat leftovers only once, until the chicken, vegetables and gravy are steaming hot throughout.
Keep leftover cooked chicken separate from raw meat and use clean utensils and containers.
Exploding food
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The ingredients, seen a little differently. This image is an illustration of the main ingredients; use the written recipe for the full list and quantities.
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