Roast chicken
A whole chicken rubbed with butter and roasted on onions with lemon and thyme, with crisp golden skin and quick gravy made in the tin.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 220°C.
- 2
Pat the chicken dry all over, inside and out, with kitchen paper.
- 3
Rub the butter all over the skin and season generously with salt and pepper.
- 4
Push the lemon halves, garlic and thyme into the cavity.
- 5
Spread the onion slices over the base of the roasting tin and sit the chicken on top, breast side up.
- 6
Roast until the skin is starting to colour.
- 7
Turn the oven down to 190°C and roast, basting once or twice, until the skin is deep golden and the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh.
- 8
Lift the chicken onto a board, tipping the juices from the cavity into the tin, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest.
- 9
Spoon off most of the fat from the tin, leaving the onions and dark juices behind.
- 10
Set the tin over medium heat, pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits as it bubbles.
- 11
Add the stock and simmer, pressing the onions with a spoon, until slightly reduced and full of flavour.
- 12
Strain the gravy into a jug, stir in any juices from the resting bird, then carve and serve.
Notes
- For the crispest skin, leave the chicken uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry, and take it out 30 minutes before roasting.
- For a bigger bird, add about 10 minutes for every extra 250 g, and always check the juices at the thigh rather than trusting the clock.
- Resting is not optional. It keeps the breast juicy and gives you time to make the gravy.
Equipment
Roasting tin, Carving board, Foil, Sieve, Jug