Pot-roasting a sweet chicken

Pot-roasting seems to almost have become an ‘old fashioned’ style of cooking, something that your granny used to do. Most of us seem more inclined to oven roast our cuts of meat now. It’s a pity, as the moist cooking process used for pot-roasting ensures that your meat is always succulent and tender, without becoming dry. And what’s more, when you pot-roast in AMC, you save extensively on your electricity costs in the kitchen!

In fact last year I made the recipe below in 4 ways to test the electricity usage of each method. I made it in the oven, pot-roasting in a conventional pot, pot-roasting in an AMC unit and then also in an AMC Electrified unit. The results were astounding! Briefly, pot-roasting in the AMC Electric Frying pan or stovetop roaster as opposed to the oven meant I used up to 80% less electricity. When compared to the conventional method of pot-roasting in a normal pot, the AMC magic still meant I used up to 45% less electricity. These savings at the end of the month can add up to a significant difference in the electricity usage of your kitchen.

But enough about saving, please do try this recipe next time you roast a whole chicken. It’s easy to make and has such a delicious sweet flavour, it’s sure to be requested again and again…

Pot-roasted chicken with sweet potatoes & honey

Serves 4 – 6

1,3 – 1,5 kg whole chicken
2 large onions, cut into chunks
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
750 g sweet potatoes cubed, with skin on
60 ml honey
45 ml lemon juice
30 ml balsamic vinegar
125 ml chicken stock, white wine or apple juice or combination of these
8 – 10 thin strips lemon rind
10 fresh rosemary sprigs
10 fresh thyme sprigs
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat an AMC 30 cm Electric Frying Pan or 24 cm Roaster over a medium temperature (probe on 6) until Visiotherm reaches first red area.
2. Brown chicken, presentation side first, until golden brown on all sides. (If preferred, you can use 10 ml oil to do this) Remove from unit and pour off any excess fat. Tie legs together with raffia or string to keep chicken presentable.
3. Add onions and garlic to unit and sauté until soft. Add sweet potato and sauté for a few minutes. Mix honey, lemon juice, vinegar and stock together.
4. Place chicken in middle of unit and scatter rind, rosemary and thyme over the chicken and vegetables. Also place some in cavity of chicken. Season well and pour sauce over.
5. Cover unit and allow Visiotherm to reach first red area again. Reduce heat to the lowest temperature – top of simmer setting on EFP. Gently cook for 30 – 45 minutes or until chicken and sweet potatoes are cooked. Open the lid’s vent on EFP for the last 20 minutes of cooking time. Visiotherm should stay between 1 – 2 o’clock position.
6. Season to taste and garnish with fresh rosemary and thyme. Serve on couscous and with a green salad.