Rock and roll roast chicken (Champagne chicken)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 80 g butter, diced
• 1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 brown onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 cups (500 ml) champagne
• salt and black pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• ½ small bunch thyme
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1½ cups green Sicilian olives
• mixed salad, to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C (180˚C fan-forced). Heat the olive oil and butter in heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in batches, skin-side up, for 5 minutes or until brown. Turn the chicken and cook for a further 3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan.
2. Return the pan to a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add ½ cup (125 ml) champagne and deglaze the pan.
3. Drizzle a large baking dish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Arrange the chicken pieces in the dish, skin-side up.
4. Scatter with bay leaves and thyme, and season with pepper. Pour the liquid from the frying pan over and remaining champagne, and scatter with carrots and olives.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, until chicken cooked through and carrots tender. Serve with mixed salad.

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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