Thyme Roast Chicken With Bacon Lardons

Halve, peel and chop the red onion into 6 wedges. Trim the carrot (no need to peel), quarter lengthways and then chop into roughly 5cm long batons. Halve the pepper, remove the core and slice into 1cm wide strips. Roughly chop the parsley (stalks and all).

Put the chicken into a bowl with a glug of oil and half the dried thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Massage the seasoning into your chicken. IMPORTANT: Wash your hands after handling raw meat and its packaging. Pop the red onion, carrot and pepper on a baking tray. Sprinkle on the remaining dried thyme, add a glug of oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat the veggies then roast in your oven until soft and golden, 25-30 mins.

Heat a frying pan on high heat (no oil). Lay in the chicken breasts and cook until browned on both sides, 2-3 mins each side. Once browned, transfer to your baking tray on top of the veggies and cook for the remaining 15-20 mins. Don't wash your pan - you need it again in a minute. When the chicken has 10 minutes left to cook, add the bacon lardons to the baking tray. IMPORTANT: Cook lardons thoroughly. Wash your hands after handling raw meat.

Whilst the chicken is roasting, add the chicken stock paste and water (see ingredients for amount) to the chicken frying pan, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the chilli jam and stir well to dissolve it (use a whisk if necessary). Bubble the mixture until thickened, 3-4 mins. Season with salt and pepper.

Once cooked, remove the chicken, veg and wedges from your oven. IMPORTANT: The chicken is cooked when no longer pink in the middle. Cut each chicken breast into five slices. Combine the wedges, vegetables, bacon lardons and chopped parsley together on one of the baking trays, then spoon onto plates. Arrange the chicken on top and reheat the sweet chilli glaze if needed. Spoon the sweet chilli glaze over the chicken and enjoy.