Nadia Sawalha's gorgeously garlicky roast chicken is a lighter version of the Sunday lunch staple. Served with crispy baked potatoes, pork stuffing balls and loads of vegetables, it's packed with flavour and is less than 500 calories per portion.

Nadia Sawalha

Nadia Sawalha

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

  • 4 small onions, skins on and halved
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 sticks celery, cut into 4 pieces
  • 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.6kg (3lb) chicken
  • Small bunch of fresh sage or parsley
  • Small glass of white wine

For the roasted jacket potatoes:

  • 6 medium potatoes
  • 3 tsp olive oil
  • Sea salt

For the sage and onion stuffing balls:

  • 4 tbsp sage and onion stuffing mix
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 300g (10oz) lean pork mince
  • Small handful of fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 lemon, zested

For the vegetables:

  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 240g (8oz) frozen peas

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to gas 9, 240°C, fan 200°C. Put the onions, carrots, celery and garlic cloves into a bowl and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Mix together with your hands.
  2. Rub the rest of the olive oil over the chicken and season well. Stuff the herbs into the cavity of the bird.
  3. Put the chicken, breast side down, in a large roasting tray and put the vegetables around the bird. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour the wine over the top of the vegetables. Return to the oven and turn the heat down to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C.
  4. After 30 minutes, carefully turn the bird over to allow the breast to brown. Baste and return to the oven. Cook for a further 30 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, slice the potatoes in half lengthways. Using the tip of a sharp knife, make a crisscross shape on the flesh side. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Put the potatoes, flesh side down, on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 1 hour, until crispy.
  6. Make the sage and onion stuffing according to the packet instructions. Allow to cool, then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Form into 12 balls and put on a baking tray. Cook for 40 minutes or until light golden.
  7. Check the chicken is cooked by piercing the thigh with a skewer, if the juices run clear take it out of the oven. If not put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes and check again, using the other thigh. Cover with foil and rest for 15 minutes before serving.
  8. Put the carrots in a pan of boiling water and boil for 2-3 minutes. Add the peas and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until tender. Drain.
  9. To serve, slice the chicken and remove any skin. Serve the chicken with the cooked potatoes, stuffing balls and vegetables.

Tesco has teamed up with Celebrity MasterChef winner, Nadia Sawalha, to help the great British public make the most of family time this Autumn with recipes and tips for creating the perfect Sunday roast. For more tasty Sunday roast recipes and top tips visit realfood.tesco.com

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