Name: Roast chicken & roots with lemon & poppy seed sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2 chicken legs; 1 tbsp olive oil plus 1 tsp for the sauce; 6 carrots cut into long chunky pieces; 2 large beetroot cut into wedges; 1 shallot finely chopped; 1 tbsp poppy seeds; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 200ml chicken stock (made from ½ a stock cube); 1 tbsp clear honey; zest 1 lemon plus juice of ½; 150ml pot soured cream; ½ small pack parsley

Roast chicken & roots with lemon & poppy seed sauce

2 chicken legs
1 tbsp olive oil
plus 1 tsp for the sauce
6 carrots
cut into long chunky pieces
2 large beetroot
cut into wedges

For the sauce

1 shallot
finely chopped
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp sweet paprika
200ml chicken stock
(made from ½ a stock cube)
1 tbsp clear honey
zest 1 lemon
plus juice of ½
150ml pot soured cream
½ small pack parsley

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the chicken on a large baking tray, drizzle with 1 tsp oil and season well. Cook for 20 mins.
step 2
Toss the veg in the remaining 2 tsp oil and some seasoning, scatter around the chicken and return to the oven for 30 mins.
step 3
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Heat the remaining 1 tsp oil in a pan, add the shallot and poppy seeds, and cook for 5 mins. Add the paprika, chicken stock, honey, lemon zest and juice, and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the soured cream and some seasoning, bubble for 2 mins, then add half the parsley and keep warm until the chicken is ready. Remove the chicken and veg from the oven, scatter with the remaining parsley and serve with the sauce.