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If you are wanting a plain roast chicken, perhaps to joint and eat cold, or to carve and enjoy without any trimmings, try this recipe. Serve it with baby new potatoes and ratatouille or an aubergine (eggplant) and tomato casserole.
SERVES 4
1 x 1.5 kg/ 3lb oven-ready chicken
2 lemons
1 clove garlic, peeled
salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 ml/2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp/25g/1 oz butter
30 ml/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Oven temperature: 170 °C/ 325 °F/Gas 3
Directions:
- Rub the outside of the chicken with the grated rind of I lemon, Chop up the remainder of the lemon and tuck inside the chicken cavity, with the garlic clove.
- Season, place in a roasting tray. Pour the olive oil over the chicken, and place the butter inside the cavity. Roast for I ‘/2 hours.
- Half an hour before the end of cooking, remove the chicken from the oven, squeeze the juice of the other lemon over it and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.
- Cook for the remaining 1/2 hour. Serve hot or cold.
The cooking juices can be skimmed and used in a sauce or gravy if required, or reduced with a little white wine and simply poured over the carved chicken
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