This is a dish I cook when I’m a bit bored with “regular” roast chicken. When I say regular, I mean that it can get a bit boring even though it is alway nicely cooked and you try to put your own twist on it. This takes roast chicken to a new level and the sauce is so good! I found this recipe in one of Jamie Oliver’s old books and have been making it for a long time. I have changed it slightly but in general it is very similar to the original recipe.
1 large chicken
2 red peppers (or one red and one yellow)
1 red onion
1/2-1 red chilli
1/2 fresh pineapple
handful fresh parsley (or basil)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 thumb size piece of ginger
3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
Chop the peppers and onion into large chunks and place in a oven dish large enough to fit the vegetables and chicken and that you can put a lid on. Chop the chilli roughly and put into the dish. Pour over the oil, roughly chopped herbs and fennel, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Grate the ginger and put into the chicken, season with salt and pepper and place on top of the vegetables. Put into the oven at 190° fan for an hour and fifteen minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and nicely browned.
Remove the chicken from the dish and let all the juice drip onto the vegetables, it is perfectly fine if some of the ginger falls onto the veg. Mash up the veg with a blender or a handheld blender. You can mash it as much as you like, I like it to have a bit of texture but this is up to you. Add the balsamic vinegar and if the sauce is a bit thick you can put a bit of water or if you didn’t use a fresh pineapple you can use the juice from the canned pineapple. Season with salt and pepper and if you want a bit more sour taste you can add some balsamic vinegar. With this I usually serve quinoa but rice or a simple salad works just as well. I just love quinoa, it is super tasty and super healthy :)