Classic roast chicken & gravy

Classic roast chicken & gravy

By Barney Desmazery
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(73 ratings)
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Prep: 10 mins Cook: 1 hr, 30 mins Plus resting

Easy

Serves 4

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

Nutrition and extra info

Nutrition: per serving

  • kcal567
  • fat40g
  • saturates13g
  • carbs4g
  • sugars1g
  • fibre0g
  • protein49g
  • salt0.84g
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Ingredients

  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
    Onion

    Onion

    un-yun

    Onions are endlessly versatile and an essential ingredient in countless recipes. Native to Asia…

  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
    Carrot

    Carrot

    ka-rot

    The carrot, with its distinctive bright orange colour, is one of the most versatile root…

  • 1 free range chicken, about 1½ kg/3lb 5oz
    Chicken

    Chicken

    chik-en

    Chicken's many plus points - its versatility, as well as the ease and speed with which it…

  • 1 lemon, halved
    Lemon

    Lemon

    le-mon

    Oval in shape, with a pronouced bulge on one end, lemons are one of the most versatile fruits…

  • small bunch thyme (optional)

    Thyme

    This popular herb grows in Europe, especially the Mediterranean, and is a member of the mint…

For the gravy

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

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. 

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  • Recipe Tip

    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.

  • Recipe Tip

    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.

  • Recipe Tip

    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.

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Comments, questions and tips

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glennsharpe
18th Feb, 2018
5.05
really good
mops22
16th Dec, 2016
Absolutely delicious ! So easy! Chicken was so tender and moist, and the gravy so tasty. Served with steamed broccoli , carrots and green beans, and some roasted new potatoes with garlic and rosemary.
walessam
16th Aug, 2016
5.05
This is delicious! Tried lots of different ways of doing roast chicken, this is the tastiest and the easiest. Use this recipe all the time now.
lizleicester
10th Aug, 2015
5.05
So simple and yet so tasty. Putting the onion and carrot under the chicken infuses it with flavour and the lemon inside it also makes it seem as though a lot more effort has gone into it than really has!
gainsandsuch
6th Jan, 2015
5.05
amazing recipe for me and the wife to enjoy... loved how simple it was to improvise! will make time and time again!
LittlePipper
26th Oct, 2014
This is my favourite roast chicken receipe I have ever used! I do put in a stick or two of celery along with the carrot and onions together with a few cloves of garlic. Roast it in the oven with some roast potatoes and butternut squash..cooking right now as I write this!! Delicious!!
davect's picture
davect
21st Oct, 2014
5.05
Simple recipe with delicious results. I used a 2 kg chicken, and roasted it for an hour and 50 min. Came out beautifully moist and the gravy was rich and flavourful. Will definitely make this again.
wee_g74
11th Oct, 2014
5.05
Fabulously juicy chicken, wonderful!! And the gravy is outstanding!
Mia82
4th May, 2014
5.05
Perfect roast chicken every time and lovely gravy!
supa_debo
28th Feb, 2014
Most amazing gravy!!!

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agatastic
9th Nov, 2013
Re step 2. When it asks to put roasting dish over low flame im assuming all the chicken juices are still in pan when you stir in the flour? Does this recipe not require juices to be separated?
chicken7
15th Aug, 2015
Only found this a couple of months ago and have made it three times already ......and will do it again today , I smother it with garlic butter ......and it draws everyone to the kitchen, wonderful!
lshaw16
11th Jan, 2014
BBC Good Food ought to have put butter on the ingredients list. I know that most people will have this in their fridge. I am one of the strange ones that don't :)