Red curry sweet potato gratin & a roast chicken

This is a very handy recipe to have up your sleeve, as both the gratin and chicken cook at the same time, so all you need alongside is a zingy and crunchy salad.

In case it’s not clear in the method -  the gratin and chicken both cook for 65 mins, after which you rest the chicken while you grill the gratin to brown the top layer.

Ingredients
Serves 4

1 whole chicken, spatchcocked
750g sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 4 mm-thick
Lime to serve

Red curry sauce
1 x 400g tin full-fat coconut milk (at least 70% coconut extract)
150g ripe, sweet cherry tomatoes
30g mild red chillies, roughly chopped
25g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 banana shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 stick lemongrass, roughly chopped
5g fresh lime leaves
2 tsp tomato paste
1½ tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp tamari
1¼ tsp fine salt

Fried aromatics

80g light avocado oil/light olive oil
20g ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
5g Thai basil leaves

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C fan.

Generously season the chicken with plenty of salt and pepper.

Set aside 2 tbsp coconut milk. Add the rest to a blender with all the red curry ingredients. Blitz until smooth. Pour 2 tbsp of sauce onto the chicken and rub all over to evenly coat.

Grease a round 28cm ovenproof casserole dish. Add the potatoes and the rest of the curry sauce to a large bowl and mix to thoroughly coat each slice. Tip into the pan/dish and level everything out. Push down on the slices to submerge the top layer in sauce.

Cover tightly with a lid or foil and transfer to the oven. Transfer the chicken to the oven as well, legs facing backwards. Set a 40 min timer.

Meanwhile, fry the aromatics. Add the oil to a medium frying pan on a medium-high heat along with one stick of the ginger. Once the ginger starts to sizzle, drop in the rest and fry for about 1 min 45 secs, swirling the pan every now and then to separate the pieces. Add the basil and fry for another 30 seconds (step back, the oil might spit!), swirling the pan, then remove from the heat and strain through a heatproof sieve set over a heatproof bowl. Transfer the aromatics to a plate lined with kitchen paper and spread out. Reserve the aromatic oil.

After 40 mins, remove the lid from the gratin and use the back of a large spoon to push down on the surface of the gratin to submerge the top layer in sauce again. Drizzle with 1½ tbsp of the aromatic oil. Return to the oven for 25 minutes uncovered - the chicken should still be in there too. After 25 mins, remove the chicken and set aside to rest.

Turn the oven to the highest grill setting and grill for about 4 minutes, or until beginning to crisp and turn golden-brown on top. 

Carve the chicken and season with flaked salt, lime juice and olive oil.

Spoon the remaining 2 tbsp coconut milk over the gratin, then drizzle with 1 tbsp of the aromatic oil. Squeeze over plenty of lime and finish with the crispy aromatics.