A Sunday Roast for One

This one's for Debs.

The brief was 'a roast dinner for one without using every pan in the kitchen'.

How about roast chicken with sausage and bacon rolls, crispy roast potatoes, vichy carrrots, peas, brussel sprouts and gravy?!

Equipment-wise I used;

1 small roasting tin,

a medium sized non-stick saucepan,
2 small breakfast bowls,
a sieve and
a measuring jug.

I also used cling film and silver foil, wooden and metal spoons, a spatula, a vegetable peeler and a sharp knife.

By jove, I think I've done it!

You will need:

1 chicken leg quarter rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 lemon sliced into 3 rounds
1 large potato peeled and cut into quarters
1 large carrot peeled and cut into 1 cm rounds
3/4 cup of frozen peas
A handful of brussel sprouts, stalk nub sliced off
2 rashers of streaky bacon, cut in half
1 sausage, skin removed and cut into 4 pieces
1 level dessertspoon of plain flour
1/2 a chicken stock cube (I am assuming you don't have any homemade stock sloshing around. If you do, you will need 1/2 a pint)
A pinch of sugar
A dash of worcestershire sauce
1 dessertspoon of redcurrant jelly
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A knob of butter

Method

Heat the oven to 180C.

Wrap each sausage piece in a bacon strip.

Parboil the potatoes in briskly boiling water for 10 minutes.  Drain into a measuring jug in which you have already placed your chicken stock cube.  You need about half a pint of potato water.  Throw the rest of the water away.  Rinse and dry the saucepan.

Place the lemon slices on a small roasting tin and lay the oiled and seasoned chicken on top.  Surround the chicken with the parboiled potatoes and drizzle them with a little olive oil.  Add the sausage stuffed bacon rolls.

Cook for about an hour, basting the chicken and turning the potatoes and bacon rolls half way.

Get on with the carrots by placing them in the saucepan and just covering with water.  Add a knob of butter, sugar and a pinch of salt.  Simmer for about 15 minutes until tender.  Put any remaining liquid (it will be substantially reduced) in the measuring jug with the potato water and stock cube.  Put the carrots in a microwavable bowl, allow to cool then add the peas and cover with cling film.  Rinse and dry the pan.

Now make the gravy.

Scoop a couple of tablespoons of the fat from the roasting tin into the saucepan.  Try and scrape up a few of the nice crispy pan bits as you do so.  They will add flavor to the gravy.  Baste the chicken whilst you are at it.  Turn the potatoes again if you want.

Heat the oil in the saucepan over a moderate heat  and stir in the flour. After a minute or so (when the fat begins to ooze out of the flour mixture - you will know it when you see it) add the liquid from the jug; slowly and stirring all the time to avoid getting any lumps.  Add the worcestershire sauce, redcurrant jelly and bay leaf.  Simmer; stirring from time to time and adding a splash more water if necessary.

After an hour has passed, check that the chicken is cooked by piercing the plumpest section with a knife.  You want the juices that flow out to be clear with no trace of blood.  If you are happy, transfer the chicken and bacon rolls to a bowl and cover with foil.  They will be quite happy for up to half a hour.

Turn the potatoes again and return to the oven to really crisp up. Turn the heat up to 200C to assist the crisping.

Decant the gravy into the jug and cover with cling film. Rinse and clean the pan.

Boil the sprouts for 4 minutes in salted water.  You can add a bit of the sprout water to the gravy if you like.  Microwave the peas and carrots on high for 4 minutes.

Serve up!