One-Pot Spiced Roast Chicken with Saffron Rice

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This is a wonderful way to cook a whole chicken, as all the juices are absorbed by the rice cooking beneath it. The vadouvan spice is a vibrant and mildy sweet mix of garlic, turmeric and chilli and brings fantastic flavour.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hr 50 minutes

Source: Waitrose & Partners https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/recipe/one-pot-spiced-roast-chicken-with-saffron-rice

Ingredients:

• 1½kg medium chicken

• 1 tbsp Essential Olive Oil

• 1 tbsp Cooks’ Ingredients Vadouvan Spice Blend (we found this a bit strong on turmeric, which in turn affected the taste/sense of Saffron in the rice. We plan to re-try with Salt & Pepper only)

• Small pinch Cooks’ Ingredients Saffron

• 250g basmati rice

• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

• 2 red chillies, thinly sliced (deseeded if liked)

• 6 cardamom pods, cracked

• 500ml chicken stock, warmed

• ½ x 25g pack chopped parsley or coriander, leaves roughly chopped

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4. Brush the chicken all over with the olive oil, then sprinkle over the spice blend and rub into the skin. Put the chicken into a flameproof casserole dish and roast, uncovered, for 1 hour 20 minutes
   

2. Meanwhile, place the saffron in a small bowl, cover with 1 tbsp just-boiled water and set aside. Cover the rice with cold water and set aside.

3. Carefully lift the chicken out of the casserole and onto a large plate. Place the casserole on the hob and add the onion, garlic and chilli and cook for 5-8 minutes until softened and golden.

4. Drain the rice and stir into the pan with the saffron, the saffron water and cardamom pods.

5. Place the chicken on top of the rice, pour the hot stock over the rice, cover the dish with a tight-fitting lid and return to the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, with no pink meat and juices run clear.

6. Scatter over the chopped herbs and serve with lemon wedges.

Cook’s tip

Serve with steamed greens or, once the chicken has been taken out of the casserole, stir chopped baby spinach into the rice and replace the lid until wilted.