Roast chicken

Roast chicken is something we all enjoy, a meal when we all get back together after someone has been travelling, or when we have a relaxing evening on a cold winter’s night. It’s also a guaranteed hit for guests and friends – and super easy. So, it’s one recipe everyone should have.

Even better, cold roast chicken makes great salad toppings, – chicken Caesar for Zander – sandwich fillings, and stir fry bases. And don’t forget the pho! Often, we cook one or two small chickens at the weekend to serve as lunches for busy weeks, as it is healthier than many alternatives (particularly if you remove the skin).

This recipe is just for the chicken, but you can also roast potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and other vegetables alongside for a full dinner experience. And of course, make gravy!

Serves: 3-4 as a main course with side dishes of vegetables and roast potatoes

Time to prepare/cook: 5 to 10 minutes to prepare the chicken for cooking, then 20 minutes per 450g plus 10-20 minutes

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Ingredients

• One or two small chickens, between 1.2kg and 1.5 kg each – make sure these are not beyond the sell by date as chicken is one of the meats than can give you bad food poisoning if it is out of date (also smells bad if it is) or under-cooked

• 4 rashers of smoked bacon per chicken

• Olive oil to grease the roasting tray

• Soy sauce

• Optional: A whole skinned onion and some herbs for the cavity (adds flavour)

• Pots and pans needed: Baking/roasting tray – will a reasonable lip so juices do not overflow; meat thermometer or a wooden skewer or a kitchen knife

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C

• Calculate your cooking time based on the weight of the chicken (if using two chickens, the weight of the largest one): Cooking time is 20 minutes per 450g (1 pound) plus an additional 10 to 20 minutes; so a 1.2 kg bird would need 1 hour 5 or 10 minutes; a 1.5 kg bird would need 1 hour 20 to 25 minutes. Note: If you add stuffing inside the chicken or roast vegetables in the same tray, this does NOT change the cooking time

• Use a little olive oil to grease the roasting tray

• Unpack the chicken(s) and remove and discard the elastic, bringing the wings up to the sides, then place on the tray; remove any large pieces of fat left in the interior, if any, and discard

• Rub a little olive oil on the top of the chickens and then a little soy sauce

• Note: Wash your hands well with soap (any any surfaces touched) between handling the chicken and the oil or sauce bottles as it is very easy to get raw chicken juice on other things, which could lead to nasty bacteria forming

• Cover the top of each chicken with 4 rashers of bacon to protect the skin and keep it moist during the first half of cooking

• Place the roasting tray into the oven and let it cook for 30 minutes, by which time the bacon should be crispy and cooked

• Remove the bacon and set aside – keep it warm if possible as you can serve it with the chicken

• Replace the chicken in the oven and cook for the remainder of the cooking time you calculated – the now exposed skin with crisp up and turn golden brown

• Once it has had it’s time, do a quick check to make sure it is cooked through – if using a meat thermometer, insert this in the breast and at the junction of the thigh and the breast. A reading of at least 160 degrees C means it is cooked. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, using a wooden skewer or fine sharp knife to pierce the same places and see if the juice coming out runs clear – if it does, the chicken is cooked, but if there is any red, then cook the bird for a further 5 to 10 minutes before testing again

• Once you are happy the chicken is cooked, remove from the roasting tray on to a carving board/plate and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before you carve

• Keep the juices in a clean, covered pot if you are going to use them for gravy or soup

• If you are not eating the chicken immediately, let it cool down completely before you put it in the fridge in a covered container