Roast Family Paprika Chicken with Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes

Once you have tried this lovely recipe you will never cook a plain roast chicken again. The smoky, sticky, sweet glaze transforms the chicken to new heights. You can choose other vegetables for this dish but we love the gooey, sweet potato nuggets and the crispy, caramel brown, cauliflower edges.

The sweet potatoes in this dish are packed with vitamin A and C, natural antioxidant and immune boosting nutrients which make it a great recipe to help fend off colds and flu. Caulifower belongs to a family of vegetables known as the cruciferous vegetables alongside cabbage, broccoli and kale. It is a great source of vitamin C as well as vitamin K & manganese.

Serves family of 4

10 minutes prep time

1 whole medium chicken – approx 2 kg

1 tbsp smoked paprika

20g butter softened (if dairy is a problem, just use a good glug of oil)

200ml water

1 cauliflower – broken into florets

3 small sweet potatoes – peeled and cut into wedges

3 tbps honey

Method

Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees C.

Take the whole chicken (ideally at room temperature) and smear the softened butter all over the top of the breasts and legs. Then sprinkle over and smear in the smoked paprika. Place in a large roasting tin with enough room around the chicken to place the vegetables.

Scatter the cauliflower florets and sweet potato wedges around the chicken and pour in the water – this will keep a steamy environment and help the vegetables to cook through. Place some tin foil tightly over the top of the roasting tin and cook for 40 minutes.

Baste the bird and stir all the vegetables well and place back in the oven for another 15 minutes without the tin foil.

Take out of the oven one final time and baste again.

Next pour the honey over the top of the chicken and stir the veg one last time – cook for a final 10-15 minutes. Leave the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes ideally, for the juices to re-distribute and the meat to relax.

Slice and serve with the roasted vegetables on the side, and add some seasonal greens if desired.

If there are any (unlikely!) leftovers from this lovely family recipe, they would make a wonderful weekday wrap filler for a lunchbox.

For more photos and full recipe go to Roast Family Paprika Chicken with Sweet Potato and Cauliflower