Roast chicken, the French way: C’est magnifique

Roast chicken is a firm family favourite and plays a starring role in the traditional Sunday dinner. Certain dishes such as this are reserved for the weekend. I think that one of the key reasons for this is that roast chicken seems to take a long time to prepare and isn’t seen as a quick and easy dinner that can be rustled up midweek.

A roast chicken needs to be cared for and tended to. It needs to be basted with its juices, rotated and rested. The various accompaniments need to be cooked in trays and pans alongside it. It always seems like there is simply too much going on and the kitchen can become chaotic.

One of my favourite ways to do a roast chicken dinner is this simpler version, the French classic poulet bonne femme. This is such an easy method for cooking a whole chicken. Everything is placed in a large pot to cook together. I love the subtle sweetness of shallots, but baby onions or even leeks can be used instead. Just pop the dish in the oven and get out in the garden to do a bit of spring weeding or planting before dinner.

This smells amazing as it cooks and tastes even better. We are lucky that here in Ireland there are fantastic poultry farmers. Picking up an organic, free-range chicken is easier than it used to be, and great value. Poulet bonne femme is an easy dish that provides a perfectly cooked chicken, potatoes and shallots with a flavoursome gravy, all in one pot. Different vegetables such as carrots or mushrooms can also be added. I love serving this with a big green salad too and some crusty bread for dipping in the gravy. It is an easy relaxed dinner for any day of the week.

Recipe: Poulet bonne femme

Lilly’s kitchen tips

1. Add whatever herbs you like to the pot. Tarragon is especially good with chicken, thyme and a little rosemary work well too.
2. Getting a whole chicken means you will have a variety of meat, from white breast meat to brown leg and thigh, as well as having more flavour in the gravy. You can use the carcass to make stock for a delicious soup.
3. Place leftover wine in a plastic lunch box or tub and keep in the freezer. It doesn’t freeze fully due to its alcohol percentage but will be a slushy texture that’s easy to spoon into gravies and sauces when needed.