My Dad’s Roast Chicken
Roasted chicken
Ingredients for chicken
Butter mixture
Pre-oven
Cavity of chicken
Bed of veg to put the chicken on
Finished dish
Ingredients:
Serves 4 | 2-hour cook | Approximately 711 calories for whole chicken
1 Chicken (I’m using a 1.8kg)
2 Onions
3 Lemons
1 Carrot
50g Butter
1 Garlic clove
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Instructions:
Step 1: Take the chicken out
Take the chicken out at least 30 minutes before cooking and bring to room temperature.
Step 2: Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees
Step 3: Prepare the base
Peel and cut your carrots in half.
Chop two onions in half (one for the bed of veg and one for the cavity).
Cut two lemons in half (one for the cavity and one for the bed of veg).
Step 4: Prepare the butter
Cut 50 grams of butter (top tip measurements are usually on the butter wrapper) approx 1/2 a block of butter.
Cut into cubes to make it easier to mix.
Add grated zest of 1 lemon.
Add a few thyme leaves (taking the leaves off the stalks) and keep 1/2 bunch aside for sprinkling on top and using in the cavity.
Finely chop 1 garlic clove.
Add salt and pepper, mix in a bowl with your hands.
Step 5: Prepare the chicken
Mix the butter mixture under the skin covering the breast bones and rub all over.
Add more thyme leaves if needed over the top.
Drizzle olive oil over the top and rub in with the butter to stop the butter burning (a couple of tablespoons worth).
Add salt and pepper.
Step 6: Fill the cavity
Add 2 onion halves, 1/2 lemon and the rest of the thyme in the cavity
Step 6: Place in the oven according to the weight of the chicken
This size chicken will take approx 1.5 hours.
Check the chicken after 30 minutes and baste (spooning the juices over the chicken) and keep checking every 30 minutes repeating the same process, you may wish to put foil over the chicken halfway through and then take off for the last 15 minutes.
Step 7: Leave to rest for 30 minutes, carve and serve with all the trimmings