Ultimate zesty roast chicken

SERVES 6 – Prep time 15 minutes + marinating + resting – Cook time 1 hour 15 minutes + resting – Calories 144 per serving – SmartPoints 2 per serving. 14 per recipe

Ingredients:

2kg whole chicken
Calorie controlled cooking spray
 

For the marinade and sauce
250ml buttermilk
Large handful fresh basil leaves
Large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Small handful fresh mint leaves
Zest and juice of 1 lime

Method:

  1. Make the marinade and sauce: put all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. Season well. Set aside half the mixture for the sauce and keep chilled in the fridge until needed.
  2. Trim any excess fat from the chicken. Starting from the neck end, carefully lift the skin from the chicken, being careful not to tear it. Transfer to a large, non-metallic bowl and pour the marinade under the skin and over the chicken so that it’s well coated. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
  3. Preheat the oven to 200c, fan 180c, gas mark 6. Lift the chicken from the bowl, scraping off any excess marinade, and transfer to a large roasting tin. Mist with cooking spray and season well.  Roast for 1 hour 15 minutes, basting after 30 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from the oven and rest for 20 minutes before carving. Serve 80g of chickn breast each with steamed green beans and asparagus, a portion of garlic roast potatoes and the reserved sauce.