Roast Lemon Chicken and Vegetable Platter

(SERVES 6)

• 1 oven-ready chicken, about 1.5 kg/3 1b
• 1 lemon
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• A rosemary sprig
• 5 ml/1 tsp low-fat spread
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 18 small new potatoes, scrubbed
• 350 g/12 oz French (green) beans
• 450 g/1 1b carrots, sliced
• ½ green cabbage, shredded
• Chopped parsley
• 1 chicken stock cube
• Artificial Sweetener granules (optional)

Pull of any excess fat inside and out with kitchen paper. Place on a trivet (or an old
upturned plate) in a roasting tin (pan). Squeeze the lemon, reserving the juice. Push the
lemon shell inside the body cavity of the chicken with the onion, garlic and rosemary.
Spread the low-fat spread over the breast, drizzle with some of the lemon juice and
sprinkle with salt. Roast in a preheated oven at 190degree C/375 degree F/gas mark 5 for 1
hour 20 minutes or until juices run clear when a skewer is inserted in the thickest part of
the high. Transfer to a carving dish and keep warm. Meanwhile, boil the vegetables
separately until tender in lightly salted water. Drain, reserving the cooking water,
arrange on a serving platter, sprinkle with chopped parsley and keep warn. Remove the
trivet from the roasting tin and spoon of all fat, leaving any cooking juices. Stir in
600ml/1 pt/2 ½ cups of the vegetable cooking water and stock cube. Bring to the boil and
boil until reduced by about a quarter. Add a little more lemon juice and sweeten, if liked,
with a few grains of artificial sweetener. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Carve the
chicken, cutting the leg joint into high and drumstick, cutting off the wings and carving
the breast into at least six slices (preferably 12 thin ones). Discard as much skin as
possible. Arrange on six warmed plates and spoon a little of the gravy over. Pour the rest
into a gravy boat. Serve with the chicken and the hot vegetable platter.