Classic roast chicken & gravy

Classic roast chicken & gravy

What more can we say? The classic roast chicken is something everyone should know and can always save the day

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr 30 mins

Plus resting

Method

  1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Have a shelf ready in the middle of the oven without any shelves above it. Scatter the vegetables over the base of a roasting tin that fits the chicken, but doesn't swamp it. Season the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, then stuff with the lemon halves and thyme, if using. Sit the chicken on the vegetables, smother the breast and legs all over with the butter, then season the outside with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and leave, undisturbed, for 1 hr 20 mins - this will give you a perfectly roasted chicken. To check, pierce the thigh with a skewer and the juices should run clear. Remove the tin from the oven and, using a pair of tongs, lift the chicken to a dish or board to rest for 15-20 mins. As you lift the dish, let any juices from the chicken pour out of the cavity into the roasting tin.
  2. While the chicken is resting, make the gravy. Place the roasting tin over a low flame, then stir in the flour and sizzle until you have a light brown, sandy paste. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring all the time, until you have a thickened sauce. Simmer for 2 mins, using a wooden spoon to stir, scraping any sticky bits from the tin. Strain the gravy into a small saucepan, then simmer and season to taste. When you carve the bird, add any extra juices to the gravy.
Try

The golden rule to roast chicken...

A 1.5kg chicken will be perfectly roasted after 1 hr 20 mins at 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. It doesn't matter what you stuff into it, rub or sprinkle over it or put around it, this timing never changes. Remember this and you will always be able to roast a chicken.

Barney says...

Ever wondered how professional cooks turn out impressive dishes without even referring to a recipe? It's simply down to basic rules, which have been followed so often that they become second nature, guaranteeing the dish will work every time. You can do the same thing at home - once you've learnt the must-dos, cooking becomes easier and you can relax and start to experiment more, knowing the end result will always be delicious. Simply follow the rules and you won't go wrong.

Other rules

Always leave your chicken to rest for at least 15 mins before carving. This will give you a juicy chicken that is a lot easier to carve. For a more succulent chicken, take it out of the fridge one hour before cooking to bring it up to room temperature. This rule applies to any meat you are roasting. Don't worry about turning or basting your chicken as it roasts. Yes, these can give good results, but are fiddly for the beginner, plus every time you open the oven you lose heat.

Per serving

567 kcalories, protein 49g, carbohydrate 4g, fat 40 g, saturated fat 13g, fibre 0g, sugar 1g, salt 0.84 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2008.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo Mimi

    20 April 2008

    Mimi rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    PERFECT!!! I consider myself a very mediocre chef.. Every roast chicken recipe I have tried either results in a bird that is too dry, burnt or looks poached. Others are too faffy..basting, turning and burnt fingers!! This one made me look like a pro chef for Sunday lunch today with no effort..RAVE reviews from the family, easy as pie and lovely moist breast meat (the true test to a roast recipe). I used olive oil instead of butter purely because I just used the last bit for the lemon pudding recipe (the super speedy one! amazing). Barney is a genius!!

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  • Binder photo Beth

    30 April 2008

    Beth rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really lovely - my gravy never goes well but this produced a lovely gravy.

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  • Binder photo Joff

    25 May 2008

    Joff rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Such a simple recipe with great results!

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  • Binder photo AnneMarie

    10 September 2008

    AnneMarie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Perfect!!! Really impressed my boyfriend's parents - I looked like a pro!

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  • Binder photo Claire

    18 September 2008

    Claire rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Baskerville

    26 September 2008

    Baskerville rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    Sorry but this was one to pass up. I cooked this dish just as the method suggests, it soon became apparent that the veg was burning and the chicken was browning far too quickly on the outside, I reduced the heat and lowered the chicken to the bottom of the oven but still the veg was turning to a burnt mess, after cooking for the alloted time I removed the bird to try and save any juices, there was very little to go at and the veg had to be thrown away, what gravy was left had a very fatty residue and that also had to be thrown away. I quickly realised that this dish would only be ok if the bird was enclosed in a pyrex dish with a stock cube, then the gravy could be removed after cooking and then the bird returned to the oven and basted with butter to allow the skin to be crisped. For anyone like my family who prefer gravy I don't think this method works. Baskerville.

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  • Binder photo icelesley

    04 January 2009

    icelesley rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    So easy to do with excellent results. The lemon adds an extra flavour to the gravy too.

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  • Binder photo Diane M

    11 January 2009

    Diane M commented on this recipe

    This is the most fantastic roast chicken ever!. It works perfect and comes out amazing each time.

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  • Binder photo jeny

    11 January 2009

    jeny rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Another fab recipe from this site. I halved the carrots lengthways and cut into 2" pieces, also popped in some chunks of potato. I was a little worried that the veg would be dry so added a splash of water. Everything turned out perfectly. Moist breast meat, crispy skin, soft veg and the gravy was so easy peasy too.

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  • Binder photo denisebrise

    08 February 2009

    denisebrise rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This recipe has plenty 5 stars and raving comments, but I just couldn't resist. My chicken was bigger than the one recommended, but worked out the cooking time ratio and turned out perfect, too. I added the veg when there was about 1 hour cooking time to go, to avoid it getting too dry. Definitely worth investing in a juicy organic free range chicken for this recipe!

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  • Binder photo Kirsty

    23 February 2009

    Kirsty commented on this recipe

    First time I've done a roast chicken without following "packet instructions" and it turned out beautifully!

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  • Binder photo Hawkeye

    18 March 2009

    Hawkeye commented on this recipe

    I'd have to say that Baskerville probably needs to invest in an oven thermometer. It's a common fault with ovens today that the temperature on the gauge doesn't match the temperature in the oven. This is a fairly foolproof way of cooking a chicken. Another tip is to make a butter stuffing with thyme, garlic, chopped parma ham and lemon zest. Mix it all in with the butter and put it UNDER the skin rather than over it. Beautiful!!

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  • Binder photo The Salad Dodger

    23 March 2009

    The Salad Dodger rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Excellent easy to follow recipe which produced the best chicken I have tasted. The lemon worked a treat. I seasoned mine with parsley& garlic salt and mixed cracked pepper. Will try Hawkeye's method which sounds good. Suggest we have a whip round for a new oven for Baskerville.

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  • Binder photo Hermione

    16 April 2009

    Hermione rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very delicious. Made it in the morning and had it cold. Didn't do the gravy though (token effort to Weightwatchers) - just used granuels.

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  • Binder photo conajv

    02 May 2009

    conajv rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Lovely! I used olive oil rather than butter (saving that for the spuds!) and it was just so tasty - and easy. I'm really no great miracle worker in the kitchen (making gravy usually scares me a bit as it can be so hit and miss) but my brood all loved this.

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  • Binder photo Meesh

    10 July 2009

    Meesh rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Fantastic results with this recipe using 2 free range chickens for 7 people. Am doing it again this Sunday for just 4 and 1 chicken so hope it comes out as well again. The gravy was also really tasty and well worth the small amount of effort.

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  • Binder photo v6en

    15 August 2009

    v6en rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This recipe never disappoints, so succulent. I like to use a Tesco's finest chicken and also their finest goose fat roast potatoes. :P

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  • Binder photo abbie

    31 August 2009

    abbie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    WOW!! Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I have never before attempted to make my own gravy because it seemed too difficult but this recipe made it a cinch. Everyone gave rave reviews even my 3 yr old son who cleared his plate. Only change I may make next time is to add more veggies to the roasting pan because the carrots and onions were devine. Will probably have requests to make this every week from now on!

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  • Binder photo Lynsay K

    11 October 2009

    Lynsay K rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I have never made a successful chicken gravy until now. This was so easy with amazing results if I do say so myself (live on my own so no one to back me up!) Added some garlic cloves to chicken cavity for a bit of extra flavour. Yummy.

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  • Binder photo Tora

    28 October 2009

    Tora rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Fantastic and easy!!! I added some small halved potatoes to the veg, and used a few small shallots instead of onion. Put a bit of butter and rosemary on the veg, and rosemary inside the chicken as well. It turned out amazing, and the gravy was also excellent. Will add garlic suggested by Lynsay K next time. Maybe you could link to the how-to on carving a roast chicken? I'm useless but learning.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 10 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr 30 mins

Plus resting

Ingredients

FOR THE GRAVY

  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 250ml chicken stock (a cube is fine)
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Per serving

567 kcalories, protein 49g, carbohydrate 4g, fat 40 g, saturated fat 13g, fibre 0g, sugar 1g, salt 0.84 g

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