Chicken & Riesling One Pan Roast

I am fairly certain that a large proportion of people that follow my food blog would know how obsessed my Husband and I are with Tasmania and all of the amazing produce it has to offer.  We came here for the first time in 2017 in a newly purchased camper trailer for a 16 day lap and by the end of that year we had purchased a 160 acre farm on the North East Coast.  It is not a working farm (yet) but the plan is to transform our little piece of paradise over the coming years into a fully fledged, regenerative agriculture plot for a self sustainable retirement.  It is a long term plan and every time we come down, we (I say we but really it is mainly my husband) chip away at preparing the land for the future.  It will come as no surprise that the camper has since been sold so we can devote a lot more time here.

Those who have been to Tassie will understand just how incredible this place is.  The cleanliness of the air, the ever changing sky, the clarity of the water, the beautiful weather that at times can be harsh and unforgiving, the friendliness and willingness of the locals and the incredible fresh produce from land and sea that is in abundance.  It is like a dream come true for a foodie like me and it never ceases to amaze me at how in tune Tasmanians are with their environment and all it has to offer.  I cook very differently down here as I have the time to peruse local markets, buy the freshest (or occasionally catch) local, sustainably caught seafood & purchase meat from pasture raised local farms.  It is a total dream come true and we have high hopes that we will be largely sourcing meat, eggs, poultry, wine, beer, olive oil & veggies from our own land at some point in the future.

Apologies for the long intro but I felt the need to explain how this simple Chicken & Riesling One Pan Roast came about.  The produce is from the local growers market & the chicken is from a local (true) free range chicken farm.  It really is about letting the produce speak for itself so if possible, get your hands on the good stuff, although I do understand that it is not always possible and it will still taste amazing.  This recipe is also very open to interpretation, use any seasonal vegetables you like……root vegetables would be fantastic such as beetroot, turnip, Swede and parsnip or sweet potato, pumpkin, baby onions and woody herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage & tarragon.  The pan is your oyster!

Prep time:  15 Minutes

Cooking time:  50 Minutes

$$ Medium Budget

Serves 4

4 chicken thighs & legs, skin on & bone in

Olive oil for frying

40gms of unsalted butter

8-12 new potatoes or 4 medium, cut into chunks

4 small carrots, peeled (or not) cut into chunks

2 brown onions, roots intact, peeled & cut into wedges (or baby onions)

1 whole bulb of garlic, cut in half (horizontally), or else whole garlic cloves, skin intact

1/2 a bunch of thyme, leaves stripped & stalks discarded

16 Brussels sprouts, halved & blanched in a boiling water for a couple of minutes then drained

2/3 of a cup of Riesling (or a dry white wine of your choice)

2/3 of a cup of chicken stock

2 tsp of plain flour with 1/4 cup of cold water, mixed until smooth

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Sea salt & Pepper

To make the Chicken & Riesling One Pan Roast, preheat your oven to 200°c.

Season the chicken legs & thighs with a generous amount of salt & pepper.  Heat a large pan and add a good lug of olive oil along with the butter.  When the butter and oil are bubbling away and nice and hot, brown the chicken on all sides until golden, pop on a plate and set aside.  In the same pan, sauté the potatoes, carrots, onions, thyme & garlic halves until the veggies take on a good amount of colour then nestle the chicken pieces amongst the vegetables.  Pour in the wine and stock and once bubbling away nicely, pop the pan in the oven for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, scatter the Brussels sprouts around the pan, baste the pan with the juices, season with a little salt & pepper and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the veggies are golden & tender and the chicken is crispy and cooked through.

To serve the Chicken & Riesling One Pan Roast, place the pan on the stove again so the juices continue to bubble, divide the chicken & veggies between four plates and then quickly which the flour mixture into the pan juices so that they thicken slightly.  This will only take a couple of minutes and the gravy will heat up the chicken and veg once spooned over.  Garnish the meals with chopped parsley & wipe any splatters from the plate to neaten them up, presentation is key.  You could also serve this with crusty bread to mop up the delicious, winey gravy, along with the rest of the Riesling……