Italian Roast Chicken With Peppers and Olives
by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLISSIMAIntroduction
A roast chicken always feels celebratory; indeed, a roast chicken always is celebratory. The vibrantly coloured and intensely flavoured vegetables that are cooked alongside here seem only to underline this, offering their own brightness and brio, sunny in taste as well as mood.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
A roast chicken always feels celebratory; indeed, a roast chicken always is celebratory. The vibrantly coloured and intensely flavoured vegetables that are cooked alongside here seem only to underline this, offering their own brightness and brio, sunny in taste as well as mood.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
(UK only)
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Ingredients
Serves: 4-6
- 1 chicken (approximately 1.5kg / 3lb preferably organic)
- 1 unwaxed lemon (cut in half)
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 leeks (washed and trimmed)
- 2 red peppers
- 1 orange pepper
- 1 yellow pepper
- 100 grams pitted dry-packed black olives
- 60 millilitres olive oil
- Maldon sea salt flakes (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
- 1 chicken (approximately 1.5kg / 3lb preferably organic)
- 1 unwaxed lemon (cut in half)
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 leeks (washed and trimmed)
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- ⅔ cup pitted dry-packed black olives
- ¼ cup olive oil
- kosher salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/gas mark 6/400ºF. Untruss the chicken, sit it in a roasting tin and put the lemon halves and 2 of the rosemary sprigs into the chicken’s cavity.
- Cut each leek into 3 logs, then slice lengthways and add to the tin. Now, remove the core and seeds of the peppers and slice them into strips, following their natural curves and ridges, and add these to the tin. Tumble in the olives, and now pour the olive oil, mostly over the vegetables but a little over the chicken, too. Add the remaining rosemary sprigs to the vegetables, along with some sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper, to taste, and, using a couple of spoons or spatulas, gently toss the vegetables about to help coat them with the oil and make sure everything’s well mixed up.
- Sprinkle some sea salt flakes over the chicken and put it in the oven for about 1–1¼ hours, by which time the chicken should be cooked through, and its juices running clear when you cut into the flesh with a small sharp knife at the thickest part of the thigh joint. The vegetables should be tender by now, too, and some of the leeks will be a scorched light-brown in parts.
- Remove the chicken to a carving board and, while it rests (for about 10 minutes), pop the pan of veg back in the oven, switching the oven off as you do so.
- Cut the chicken up chunkily, transferring the pieces to a large warmed platter. Now take the pan back out of the oven and, with a slotted spoon or spatula, remove the vegetables to the large platter and when all is arranged to your aesthetic delight, pour over it all the bronze, highly flavoured juices that have collected in the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/gas mark 6/400ºF. Untruss the chicken, sit it in a roasting tin and put the lemon halves and 2 of the rosemary sprigs into the chicken’s cavity.
- Cut each leek into 3 logs, then slice lengthways and add to the tin. Now, remove the core and seeds of the peppers and slice them into strips, following their natural curves and ridges, and add these to the tin. Tumble in the olives, and now pour the olive oil, mostly over the vegetables but a little over the chicken, too. Add the remaining rosemary sprigs to the vegetables, along with some sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper, to taste, and, using a couple of spoons or spatulas, gently toss the vegetables about to help coat them with the oil and make sure everything’s well mixed up.
- Sprinkle some sea salt flakes over the chicken and put it in the oven for about 1–1¼ hours, by which time the chicken should be cooked through, and its juices running clear when you cut into the flesh with a small sharp knife at the thickest part of the thigh joint. The vegetables should be tender by now, too, and some of the leeks will be a scorched light-brown in parts.
- Remove the chicken to a carving board and, while it rests (for about 10 minutes), pop the pan of veg back in the oven, switching the oven off as you do so.
- Cut the chicken up chunkily, transferring the pieces to a large warmed platter. Now take the pan back out of the oven and, with a slotted spoon or spatula, remove the vegetables to the large platter and when all is arranged to your aesthetic delight, pour over it all the bronze, highly flavoured juices that have collected in the pan.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
It is not advisable to make ahead. Leftovers should be covered and refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 3 days, either cold or tossed through some cooked pasta.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
It is not advisable to make ahead. Leftovers should be covered and refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 3 days, either cold or tossed through some cooked pasta.
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Show more commentsI’d been meaning to make this since I first watched Nigellissima years ago, when still at home with my parents. I made this for the first time, for my own family, this weekend. It was delicious! I rubbed the chicken with garlic oil, dried rosemary, pepper and a pinch of chilli flakes, which added lovely flavour to the juices. I served it with diced potatoes - parboiled, dried, rubbed with garlic oil and sprinkled with Parmesan, and then roasted with the oven - and diluted the leftover juices in the pan to mark sort-of gravy. I’ll be making it again very soon and it may even be our new go-to roast.
This is one of the best roast chicken recipes I have ever cooked. I had a 3.4 lb d'Artagnan chicken and squeezed it and all of the veggies into a Staub skillet. That was it! I checked it in an hour, deemed the chicken needed about another 10 minutes and knocked off veggies that were covering some of the skin for more even browning. The end product was so juicy and flavorful (and what an aroma). As there are only the 2 of us I followed the suggestion and put the leftovers gently reheated) over pasta the next day. I can't wait to do this again.
Not only is this absolutely delicious, but your house will smell fantastic while it roasts. Serve it with the Saffron Orzotto (also from Nigellissima) to create a perfect meal. I wouldn’t say no to a piece of Chocolate Olive Oil Cake for dessert either!
This was delicious. Now I wonder if I can add cut up or fingerling potatoes for a one-dish meal.
Absolutely superb recipe and incredibly easy. If you have any leftovers from this, do yourself a favour and heat them up then stick them in a toasted ciabatta with a bit of provolone.
The leftover are even better than the first time, so I think I should make 2 chickens next time or at least a bigger one. There are two of us and we pretty much finished a chicken between us. We reduced the volume of vegetables since I didn't have enough peppers and it was still delicious.
This was my very first attempt at roasting a chicken. Followed Nigella's directions exactly and it came out perfectly! Juiciest chicken ever, and the veg looked so elegant. Plan to make this again for a romantic dinner post-lockdown.
Simply delicious - followed recipe and perfect.
Love this recipe. Excellent to share with guests. So little work to do. No missing the conversation, as no need to touch the dish for virtually the whole cooking time. I usually serve a dish of green vegetables, maybe asparagus and beans or brocolini.
Delicious! Making again tomorrow. Leftovers nice tossed through some pasta.
absolutely wonderful. strange not having a kitchen that smells English on a roast but the Italian aroma makes it feel I am on holiday. excellent recipe thank you.
I’ve made this chicken once a week since I first came across this recipe. It’s heaven. I dream about it. My 4.5 year old twins and husband DEVOUR it! Just the smell of it in the oven is beyond... The edges of the leeks get carmelized and crispy - half of them never make it to the table! I always commandeer the crackly chicken skin - chef’s much-deserved reward! I’m salivating just writing about it. The carcass makes the most delicious stock and the rare leftovers make the most delicious chicken salad. Pure, glorious umami! MUST try!