Roast chicken
Discover just how easy a roast can be with our step-by-step guide to classic roast chicken
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rating
Difficulty and servings
Serves 4
Preperation and cooking times
Prep 15 mins
Cook min 1 hr 30 mins
- Add flavour from the inside: Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Halve the lemons and prick one half all over with your knife. Cut the rest into wedges and set aside. If the chicken's legs are tied with string, remove it. Put the lemon half inside the cavity with a bay leaf, a few sprigs of rosemary and one half head of garlic.
- Assemble the roast: Tip the potatoes and remaining garlic into the roasting tin, toss with the oil and season. Push the potatoes to the edges and sit the chicken in the middle. Brush butter all over the breasts and legs with your pastry brush. Season and make sure the potatoes are evenly spaced around the tin. Re-tie the legs if you like.
- Roast and check it's cooked: Roast in the centre of the oven for 1 hr 10 mins, brushing twice with more butter during cooking. To check that it's cooked, push a skewer through the thickest part of the thigh. The juices will run clear when ready. Lift the bird out of the tin with the wooden spoons and sit it on your board or platter. Cover with foil and rest. This will give a juicier chicken.
- Crisp potatoes and add flavour: Turn oven up to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and put the shelf up one rung. Toss potatoes, remaining herbs and lemon wedges in the pan juices, then roast for 15-20 mins, turning once, until crisp. Serve your roast with simple vegetables like broccoli.
The chicken isn't cooked
Your chicken is a bit bigger than 1.8kg or may have been very cold from the fridge. Put the roasting tin back in the oven for another 10 mins, then test again. Don't worry about the potatoes overcooking, they'll be fine.
New flavours
Chorizo & paprika: Add 1 tsp smoked or sweet paprika to the softened butter and tip chunky pieces of chorizo into the pan with the herbs and lemon. With honey-roasted veg: Switch the potatoes for big chunks of carrot, squash, red onion and any other roots you like. Add a squeeze of honey to the pan along with the herbs, omitting the lemon.
Pan too small?
Cook in separate pans, with the chicken on the middle shelf. Once the chicken is cooked, remove and rest, turn up the oven and finish your potatoes.
Per serving
800 kcalories, protein 50g, carbohydrate 67g, fat 39 g, saturated fat 13g, fibre 5g, salt 1.93 g
Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2007.
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'This recipe takes all the hassle out of cooking a roast - you don't have to parboil the potatoes and there's less washing up. The flavours are fantastic, especially the potatoes.'
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http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3422/
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Simple, yet delicious twist on one of our favourite greens - perfect side dish for any roast meal, by Gary Rhodes.
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Difficulty and servings
Serves 4
Preperation and cooking times
Prep 15 mins
Cook min 1 hr 30 mins
A versatile meal
Ingredients
Per serving
800 kcalories, protein 50g, carbohydrate 67g, fat 39 g, saturated fat 13g, fibre 5g, salt 1.93 g
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15 January 2008
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01 March 2008
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