In the company of meat-eaters, no matter their age, you can’t really go wrong with a herbed chicken and potato feast!

What takes this version to the next level is the creamed spinach sauce and the good news is, and that part of the recipe is really simple too.

My final tip for pulling off this fuss-free dinner, is to purchase a butterflied fresh chicken from your local butcher. This will cut down your cooking time and it also makes for easier divvying up – everyone will be glad to dig in sooner!

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 whole large, fresh chicken, butterflied (ask your butcher to do this)

500g baby potatoes, sliced in half

10 sprigs of thyme, plus 1 extra tbsp of leaves

2 sprigs of rosemary

1 lemon, cut in half

1 small bulb of garlic, cloves cut in half

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to season

For the sauce

1 bunch of spinach

250ml cream

½ cup basil leaves

½ bunch of parsley

1 whole nutmeg

2 garlic cloves

Method

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.

Combine potatoes, thyme, rosemary, lemon and garlic in the bottom of a heavy-based tray. Cover with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, season the chicken and place in the tray on top of the potatoes. Season, scatter with thyme leaves and drizzle with olive oil.

Cover with foil and place in oven to cook for 45 minutes

While the chicken is cooking, add cream and spinach to a saucepan with crushed garlic. Cook until spinach has wilted and cream has thickened slightly. Add the basil and parsley. Grate in fresh nutmeg to taste and add salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Uncover chicken and cook for another 30 minutes in the oven (or until juices run clear).

Before serving, add spinach sauce to food blender and puree until smooth.

Serve the sauce alongside chicken and a side of steamed greens of your choice.

Wine supplied by Magnum + Queens Wine.

Firecracker Event’s Herbed Roast Chicken + Potatoes With Spinach Sauce. Photo – The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli. Styling Assistant – Ashley Simonetto.

Dinner for one. Plate by Jessilla Rogers. Photo – The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli. Styling Assistant – Ashley Simonetto.

Oh, baby potatoes! Photo – The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli. Styling Assistant – Ashley Simonetto.