The Best Roast Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2.5 kg chicken brought to room temp (leave out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking)
- 3 large potatoes cut into 2 - 3 inch pieces
- 1 large red onion cut into wedges
- 3 large carrots cut into 2 - 3 inch pieces
- 8 - 10 garlic cloves (aka approx 1 whole bulb) 2 reserved for chicken
- 1 - 2 zucchini cut into 2 - 3 inch pieces
- 3 tablespoon butter salted
- 2 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon thyme dried
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- sea salt flakes
- black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190C fan forced
- Add the potato, carrots, red onion, garlic cloves and zucchini to a deep baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper and the thyme and toss to combine. Leave aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the softened butter with 1 large or 2 small minced garlic cloves, the parsley and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
- To loosen up the skin on the chicken breast, use a dessert spoon (round side facing up aka upside down) and gently insert it between the breast and the skin on each side of the chicken (refer to video if this makes so sense). Then scoop up the butter mix with the spoon, tuck it under the skin on each breast and rub the outside of the skin to spread out evenly. Transfer the chicken to the tray to sit on top of the vegetables.
- Drizzle the other tablespoon of olive oil on the top of the chicken with a big pinch of salt and pepper and rub in until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Pierce the lemon a few times with a knife then microwave in a small bowl for 60 seconds. Insert this into the chicken.
- Roast for between 1 hour 15 mins to 1 hour 45 mins. Its handy to have an electric meat thermometer to test the internal temp. Every oven is different so it may take a little longer or shorter for you. From one hour I check the chickens internal temperature every 10 minutes and I take it out when the chicken has come to around 70 - 74 degrees Celsius.
- Optionally, to make your own gravy, you can drain any drippings from the baking tray, add them to a small pot with a teaspoon or two of chicken stock concentrate/powder, 1 tablespoon of plain flour, ½ cup or so of water and heat over medium heat on the stove with a whisk for 5 minutes until you have a thick gravy (adding more or less water for your desired consistency). The chicken needs to rest for 5 - 8 minutes so you may as well have a crack at your own gravy!
- Slice up the chicken, serve with the veggies and gravy and enjoy.
Nutrition
Calories: 598kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 60gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 749mgSodium: 305mgPotassium: 1484mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 34777IUVitamin C: 78mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 18mg
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