Louise Weaver-Lowe from Warrington said:
With two hungry boys to feed, these ideas save me a fortune.
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.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6 people
- 1.5kg chicken
- 1 lemon unwaxed, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic bulb
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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.
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25g Butter
Butter
Unsalted is better for cooking.
Easy spread butter is ideal for sandwiches and toast.
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Ground Black peppercorns
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
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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.
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.
Eat twice with leftover chicken
TOP TIP
It’s worth freezing herbs that you use regularly: mint,... Read more
Comments on this recipe
Roasting a chicken? Line the baking tray with foil and layer it with leftover celery sticks and carrots which is about to go and plonk a seasoned chicken on top of it, breas side up. Fill up tray with a half inch layer of water. Put small potatoes around the chicken and presto everything can be eaten off the tray! Give the chicken and the veggies one hour and half at 180 C.
Comments on this recipe