THE BEST ROAST CHICKEN!!!
The family were all here the weekend for the christening so I cooked dinner Friday night. I find a roast chicken great as you can get everything ready earlier and put it all into the oven so no stress when everyone arrives. This recipe is actually from one of Jamie Oliver's earlier books, I like his style of cooking because a lot of it is based on Italian cooking and is very simple. I hate complicated cooking, the more simple the better. It always tastes better anyway because there isn't too much flavours going on and you can taste the main ingredient
Once again I'm going to plug Superquinn and tell you to buy their organic chicken, it is a little expensive but at least it smells and has taste. It's about €20 but it's nearly 2lb and it fed six of us so it's worth it. You also need:
- 1 lemon
- 8 slices parma ham - packet of Rovagnati is fine, I mentioned it in favourite food post.
- 1-2 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 2 good handfuls fresh thyme, leaves picked and finely chopped (invest in a good chopping knife)
- sea salt and black pepper
- 1/2 pack of 227g butter - use at room temp
- potatoes peeled and cut in half
Preheat the oven to 220
Using your fingers seperate the breast skin from the breast and push your hand down as far as you can. It's a bit tricky so be careful not to rip the skin.
Peel the lemon with a peeler and chop up the skin really fine. Keep the peeled lemon for later.
Put butter in a bowl and add lemon skin, thyme, garlic and parma ham torn into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper and then mix it altogether with your hand. Bit Messy!!
Push this into the space you made between skin and meat and rub the rest all over the outside of the chicken.
Cut the peeled lemon in half and push into the cavity of the chicken.
Put the chicken into your roasting tray and cook for 20 mins
While the chicken is cooking parboil your potatoes in salted water for 10 mins and then add to the tray with the chicken and cook for 40 mins.
If your guests are late just turn off the oven and leave it there till they arrive.
Serve the chicken on a large plate with potatoes and put juice into a jug and pour over once the chicken is cut up. Your guests will be so impressed.
p.s if you have any chicken left over, eat the next day in a baguette with mayo, put sliced brie on top and toast under the grill - DELICIOUS
