Cook Once- Roast Chicken

The Sunday or mid-week roast is the customary meal when children and teenagers sit down to eat with their families. Here are some simple recipes for a basic family chicken roast, followed by quick and delicious ways of using up the leftover chicken. You may wish to buy a slightly bigger joint if you like the look of the ‘eat twice’ recipes and know your family will devour the roast in its first outing.

By Caroline Marson

Cookery advisor All recipes by Caroline Marson

Ingredients show imperial units

Serves 4-6 people

1.5kg chicken
1 lemon unwaxed, thinly sliced
1 head of garlic
25g butter

Butter

Unsalted is better for cooking.

Easy spread butter is ideal for sandwiches and toast.
Herbs

Herbs

Ideal for seasoning pastas.

To keep cut parsley or coriander, put in a hole free polythene bag with a couple of tablespoons of cold water, give the bag a good shake and keep in the salad drawer of the fridge. Herbs should keep for a week like this.

such as rosemary or thyme
Black pepper
Black peppercorns

Best used as a condiment.
They can be lightly crushed and used to spice up a creamy sauce or to coat fillet steak or chicken breasts.
- Although it might seem odd, grinding black pepper over a bowl of strawberries enhances the flavour of the fruit.
- Pepper that is pre-ground is not fresh tasting and often has other ingredients mixed in.
- Choose the type of mill that suits you, and if you want coarser pepper you can loosen the screw on the top of the mill or crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar
Olive oil
Olive oil

Usually the darker green the oil, the richer the flavour.
- Extra virgin olive oil is good for drizzling on salads and should never be heated as this destroys the fine properties
- Lighter olive oil is good for adding to bread, or to flavour a salad or marinade for chicken, meat, fish or vegetables. Lighter olive oil can be gently heated and added to marinades and baking.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) mark 5. Take the chicken out of the fridge an hour before cooking, which will help speed up the cooking process. Put the chicken in a roasting tin and add the lemon, garlic, butter and herbs to the body cavity. Season the chicken all over with freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
Transfer to the oven and cook for 45 minutes-1 hour or until the juice run clear when the chicken is pierced with a skewer and it is completely cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in a warm place for a few minutes before serving. Put a wooden spoon into the body cavity and, using a spatula to hold the breast end, tip the chicken and let all the buttery juices and slices of lemon pour out onto the roasting tin, transfer the chicken to a board and cover with foil for 20 minutes.
Place the tin over a direct heat, add the chicken stock, take the garlic bulb out of the chicken cavity and squeeze out the soft flesh from the skin into the roasting tin and let the mixture bubble for a few minutes, taste and season. Now add a few sprigs of extra herbs.
Carve the chicken on to warm plates and add any juices to the sauce. Spoon over the sauce and serve.

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