Roast chicken with Caesar vegetables

3 of 5-a-day asparagus bbc good food team dinner family fibre folate iron roast chicken spring

N/A

Source

Ingredients

6 anchovy fillets

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves

1 medium egg

150ml vegetable oil

15g parmesan , finely grated

¼ small pack tarragon , 1 tbsp finely chopped, the rest snipped off the stem to make small sprigs

25g soft butter

4 anchovy fillets , finely chopped

1 ½kg whole free-range chicken

200g fine-stemmed asparagus spears, ends snapped off if woody

200g green beans , trimmed, halved and blanched for 2 mins

170g frozen peas

¼ baguette , cut into chunky croutons

Method

To make the dressing, put the anchovies in a small bowl, add the vinegar, mustard, garlic and egg, then blitz with a stick blender until well mixed. Gradually add the oil in a thin stream until it thickens into a creamy dressing. Stir in the Parmesan, season and chill until ready to serve.

For the chicken, heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Beat 1 tbsp chopped tarragon with the butter and anchovies, then rub it under the breast skin of the chicken. Rub any remainder all over the bird and roast for 1 hr until the chicken is golden and nearly cooked. After 1 hr, add the asparagus and beans to the roasting tin around the chicken. Cook for 12 mins, then scatter the peas over and cook for another 3 mins until the chicken is cooked through, the vegetables are tender and the peas are hot.

Meanwhile, put the croutons on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 10 mins until golden and crisp.

Scatter the chicken and vegetables with the croutons and tarragon sprigs, and spoon over a little dressing. Serve the rest of the dressing separately.