Zaatar-roasted chicken with sweet potatoes

Name: Zaatar-roasted chicken with sweet potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 medium whole British chicken; 2 tbsp fine salt (optional); 1.3 kg sweet potatoes; 6 shalllots; 6 tbsp olive oil; 1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest, then halved; 4 tbsp Cooks’ Ingredients Zaatar; 3 clove/s cloves garlic, peeled, left whole; 20 g pack thyme; Toasted flaked almonds, to serve (optional)

Natasha Piper's simple dish to celebrate Rosh Hashanah hits all the right notes. The potatoes, shallots and zaatar-spiced chicken deliver a sweet yet balanced meal.

Please note, the ingredients in this recipe are not certified kosher as sold by Waitrose.

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Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare15 mins
Cook1 hr
Total time1 hr 15 mins
Plusoptional salting and resting

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Ingredients

1 medium whole British chicken
2 tbsp fine salt (optional)
1.3kg sweet potatoes
6 shalllots
6 tbsp olive oil
1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest, then halved
4 tbsp Cooks’ Ingredients Zaatar
3 clove/s cloves garlic, peeled, left whole
¼ x 20g pack thyme
Toasted flaked almonds, to serve (optional)

Method

On the day before, if time allows, pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper and place on a tray or large plate. Season all over with the salt, cover and leave in the fridge for up to 24 hours. This will make the chicken succulent once roasted.
Preheat the oven to 220ºC, gas mark 7. Wash and cut the sweet potatoes in halves or quarters depending on their size (if they are quite small, leave them whole) and place on a large roasting tray. Halve the shallots (leave the skins on) and add to the tray alongside the potatoes. Drizzle with about 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
Put the lemon zest, zaatar and the remaining 4 tbsp oil into a bowl and mix. Remove the string from the chicken and put the lemon halves, garlic and thyme inside the cavity. Place in a deep-sided roasting tin, breast-side up, and cover completely in the zaatar and olive oil mix.
Roast the chicken and sweet potatoes for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 200ºC, gas mark 6 and continue to roast for a further 45-55 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, the juices run clear and there is no pink meat. If the zaatar starts to colour too fast, cover loosely with foil. The sweet potatoes should be completely softened and starting to crisp around the edges. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes, then serve with the potatoes, sprinkled with some toasted flaked almonds for crunch, alongside a green salad or cooked seasonal greens. (Nutrition calculated excludes optional 2 tbsp salt)