Ingredients
- 1 lemon, halved
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 1 free-range whole chicken, about 1.6kg (3½lb)
- 3tbsp olive oil
- 1tbsp sumac (available from Bart Spices, in supermarkets)
- 1 garlic bulb, divided into cloves
- for the roasted vegetables
- 500g (1lb 2oz) baby new potatoes
- 2 red onions, cut into 6 pieces
- 2 red onions, peeled and chopped into chunks
- 5tbsp olive oil
Method
Heat the oven to 220 C, 200 C fan, 425 F, gas 7. Stuff the lemon halves and 2 of the rosemary sprigs into the chicken cavity. Mix the olive oil together with the sumac and a generous amount of seasoning, and spread all over the bird. Put the garlic cloves in a large roasting tin with the remaining rosemary and sit the chicken on top. Roast for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 190 C, 170 C fan, 375 F, gas 5. Toss the veg in the 5tbsp of oil, then add to the roasting tin and roast for a further 40 minutes, until the juices run clear when you insert a skewer into the thickest parts of the breast or leg, and the vegetables are golden and caramelised.
When the chicken is cooked, allow it to rest for 10 minutes, keeping the vegetables in a low oven. Serve the chicken and vegetables together, with extra lemon wedges, if you like.
Top Tip for making Middle Eastern Roast Chicken with Sumac, Lemon and Rosemary
Sumac is a berry that's sold dried and ground. Its citrus flavour lends itself perfectly to chicken, and it's also lovely sprinkled on aubergines.
