A Sunday roast for two that isn't a week of leftovers

A small chicken, one tin of potatoes and carrots, and a plan for what's left on Monday.

Food · By the Man Brief team · 1 min read · Saturday 12 September 2026

A roast doesn't have to feed six. A small chicken, the sort sold as serving two to three, fits a standard roasting tin with room for potatoes and carrots around it.

Cooking it

Follow the time on the label, since it's worked out for that weight. The Food Standards Agency's test is simple: pierce the thickest part of the leg, and the juices should run clear with no pink meat inside. Let it rest under foil for ten to fifteen minutes while you make the gravy.

Parboil the potatoes for ten minutes, shake them in the pan to rough up the edges, and roast them in hot oil. They go in before the chicken if they need longer.

The leftovers

Strip the meat off the bones once it's cooled, and get it into the fridge within two hours. It'll do sandwiches on Monday and a stir-fry on Tuesday.

The carcass makes stock. Cover it with water, add an onion and a carrot, simmer for a couple of hours, strain it and freeze it in small tubs for soup.