Feeds 4 x 3 meals
Ingredients: Choose either:
Frozen chicken, defrost overnight 2.3 kg £2.25.
Lidl’s fresh chicken 1.7 kg £3.35
Roasting method: £3.35 = 3 meals = £1.12
1. Put chicken in large tin with a little water covering the base
2. Cover with foil, remove foil in last 30 mins for a crispy skin.
3. Oven temperate 350F (170 degrees C ): 20 mins per 500 grams.
4. Leave for 15 mins before carving.
5. See Google for more fancy roasting tips!
6. Divide up chicken: Half breast & two legs will do 2 main meals
7. Third meal will consist of the remaining bits left on the bones
Vegetables: £1.30
1 kg of potatoes (40p)
1 sweet heart cabbage (47p)
Half bag of carrots (22p)
Use half = largest parsnips (21p)
2. Peel potatoes, cut to make 16 individual potatoes to roast. Sprinkle over them flour, put 2 tablespoon of oil in a cup. Dip potatoes in before adding to the chicken about 45 minutes before the end of cooking time. They should then be roasted and ready as you carve the chicken.
3. Peel parsnip, cut into wedge like shapes and add 15 mins before taking out the chicken, and leave them with the roast potatoes so they are hot and ready to serve when the chicken is carved.
4. Peel the carrots slice across into three pieces and cut each pieces into four to six wedges. Boil in a saucepan with enough water to cover them, cook about 10 mins so ready to serve at the same time as everything else.
5. Cut off the hard lump at the bottom of the cabbage and slice from the top down to the bottom. Lay flat and slice through it in wide strips and then cut across those in about four places so the leaves are in oblong pieces. In another saucepan cook as carrots this time only 5 mins before everything else is ready.
6. Carving is easier if you remove the legs and breast from the main body. One side of the breast should be enough for 4 people with meat from one of the legs. The remaining breast and leg will be used in Recipe 2. Depending on the size of the chicken there will be small pieces in and around the carcass for Recipe 3, If its possible put some aside to freeze to add to a pizza, or stir fry at a later date.
Tip 1: If you begin to take the chicken apart and it’s juices aren’t clear (pink) return to oven and check after 10 mins. If using microwave put back in on Medium for after 5 mins until the juice runs clear.
Tip 2: Don’t start cooking vegetables until you are sure chicken is fully cooked.
Tip 3: To make an easy gravy use the granules/powder follow the packets instructions and use water from carrots or cabbage water to make it tasty and nutritional. If using a stock cube (Oxo) for four with an average thickness use half a pint of vegetable water, and mix two teaspoons of cornflour and cold water in a cup, and gradually add to the water and allow to boil and thicken adjust amount and thickness to requirements.
Tip 4: Never throw any food away. If you have vegetables left over put in fridge and you can use them with all the chicken bits see Recipe 3.
Alternative microwave method:
1. Put chicken in large casserole dish with lid with 2 pts water and stock cube.
2. Use MEDIUM cook 10 mins x 450 grams of chicken eg. 1.7kg = 40 mins
3. You can cook chicken with vegetables (not potatoes) add an extra 10 mins
4. Leave to rest for 30 mins and ensure its well cooked.
If you have m/wave oven you can cook roast potatoes:
1. Prepare potatoes as above and place on microwave safe tray or dish.
2. For comination w/wave use jacket potato programme dial in weight.
3. Turn the potatoes over when they begin to brown
4. Without combination cook potatoes on HIGH for 10-15 mins until soft
5. If potatoes are small check them you don’t want them to shrivel.
6. Add a little oil and brown them brown under the grill.
Cost of meal: £2.42
Cost per person: 61p