Wood-Fired Chicken Pot Roast

A whole chicken pot-roasted in a wood-fired oven, nestled on a bed of root vegetables with white wine and stock. The retained heat does all the work - ninety minutes of gentle cooking gives you fall-apart chicken with golden, crispy skin and vegetables that have soaked up all the juices. This is the kind of hands-off cooking that a pizza oven excels at once you have learned to manage the temperature.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 2 onions, thickly sliced
• 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 8 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 250ml white wine
• 250ml strong chicken stock
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• A generous pinch of dried oregano
• Crusty sourdough bread and chopped parsley, to serve

Method

1. Heat your pizza oven to approximately 200-220°C.
2. Place the vegetables, bay leaves, and thyme in a tight-fitting pot or Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper. Sit the chicken on top of the vegetables.
3. Pour the white wine and chicken stock around the vegetables (not over the chicken). Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season generously with salt, pepper, and oregano.
4. Cover tightly with baking parchment, then seal with the lid or a double layer of foil. Cook for 60-90 minutes depending on the size of your chicken.
5. Remove from the oven and check the chicken is cooked through - pierce the thigh and the juices should run completely clear. If undercooked, return covered for another 30 minutes.
6. Add a little kindling to bring the oven temperature back up. Remove the covering, baste the chicken with the pot juices, and return uncovered for 15 minutes to brown the skin.
7. Serve with a squeeze of lemon, fresh parsley, crusty bread, and spoon the cooking juices over everything.