Roast Chicken & Garlic Sauce with Greens

Steps

• Step 1

  To prepare the garlic sauce, heat the oven to 150C/gas mark 2. Roast the garlic heads for an hour until soft. Once cold, squeeze out the cloves and place in a food processor. Add the vinegar, parsley and lemon juice before blitzing whilst slowly adding the olive oil so it forms a thick emulsion. Season, cover and chill. Serve at room temperature.

• Step 2

  Heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6

• Step 3

  Squeeze the lemon over the chicken, rubbing the juice into the skin, then place the lemon halves inside the bird. Season and rub with 2 TBS olive oil

• Step 4

  Place on a roasting tray, breast up, in the centre of the oven and cook: allow 45 minutes per kilo, plus 20 minutes, and turn the bird onto its breast after 45 minutes

• Step 5

  Test the chicken by piercing the thickest part of its thigh with a sharp knife. If the juices run clear, it’s cooked

• Step 6

  Once ready, transfer to a plate, cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes. Discard the fat and set aside 1 TBS of the juices.

• Step 7

  While the chicken is cooking, bring 2 pans of unsalted water to the boil. Drop the spinach into one – within 30 seconds it will wilt

• Step 8

  Drain the spinach into a colander and refresh under cold running water. Squeeze out the excess water, chop and set aside

• Step 9

  Drop the baby leeks into the other pan. Cook for a minute, or until tender, then drain and cool

• Step 10

  Add the asparagus to the same pan, boil for 4 minutes until tender, then drain and cool

• Step 11

  Toss the asparagus and leeks in 1 TBS olive oil and season

• Step 12

  Heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Cook the leeks and asparagus for a minute, turning regularly, until they’re flecked golden on all sides

• Step 13

  At the same time, add the spinach to the pan with the chicken juices. Season, set over a medium heat and stir until hot

• Step 14

  Serve the chicken with the vegetables and garlic sauce