Festive Roast Chicken

 

Once every so often I like to roast a whole chicken in the oven.  It's such a cosy family meal and festive when presented at the table with all the trimmings.  Use a heavy-based roasting pan just big enough for the bird with room for some potatoes and sweet potatoes.  Make sure the chicken is nice and dry.  Stuff the cavity with lemon halves and rosemary sprigs.  Brush over with herbed butter and place a few spoonfuls under the skin to 'moisturise' the breast, then sit it on top of onion wedges and whole cloves of garlic.  When the chicken comes out of the oven, the skin will be crisp and the meat succulent.  The pan will be full of delicious juices so there is no need to make a gravy. You probably wouldn't want to buy another roast chicken from the supermarket after having this.  As to any leftovers, there are many ways of using them up in soups, salads, sandwiches and my easy chicken congee.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole chicken, 2kg / 4lb 8oz
• 1 onion, quartered, unpeeled
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 lemon, halved
• 4 rosemary springs
• 3-4 potatoes, scrubbed and quartered with skin on
• 1-2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into big chunks with skin on
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnishing

Herbed butter:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring it down to room temperature.  Remove any excess fat.  Pat the skin dry with paper towels.  A salt rub and hot water treatment (see step 2 and 3 of my recipe for Shandong roast chicken) will ensure crispy skin but these extra steps are optional.
2. In a bowl, combine ingredients for the herbed butter.
3. Place the chicken in a roasting pan breast-side up.  Use the back of a spoon to loosen the skin from the breast of the chicken, then place several spoonfuls of the herbed butter under the skin and some into the cavity.  Smear the remaining herbed butter all over the chicken. 
4. Stuff the chicken cavity with the lemon halves and rosemary sprigs.
5. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wing tips under the chicken.  This helps the chicken cook evenly and prevent the tips of the wings from burning.
6. Slip the onion wedges and garlic cloves under the chicken in the pan.  Arrange the potatoes and sweet potatoes snugly around the chicken.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken and the vegetables.
7. Roast in a preheated 200°C/400°F oven for 20 minutes, then a further 1 hour and 10-15 minutes at 180°C/350°F.  Insert a skewer into the thickest part of a thigh or breast.  The chicken is cooked if the juice runs out clear.
8. Let the chicken rest in the pan for 15 minutes before carving.  Garnish with chopped parsley.  Serve with pan juices and the vegetables.