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How to roast a chicken
Simple though it may be, nothing quite beats the sight and smell of a golden-skinned chicken, served with meaty chipolata sausages, creamy bread sauce, herby stuffing and lashings of gravy.
In the early part of last century, chicken was considered as much of a luxury as foie gras is today, but with intensive farming methods and increased affluence it became the cheapest meat on the supermarket shelves. Somewhere along the line, though, flavour went out the window.
Today, we have a good choice of chickens. If you want the cheap and cheerful option, it’s still there, but for the best flavour it is worth paying a little more for corn-fed, organic or free-range chicken. The flesh will be less spongy, too, as the bird has had a chance to roam around, building up muscle.
- For best results, cook chicken at 220C/425F/gas mark 7 for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 190C/375F/gas mark 5 and allow 45 minutes per kg, plus 20 minutes. Serve 300g oven-ready weight per person, slightly more if you want leftovers for chicken sandwiches the next day.
- One of the main dangers when cooking chicken is the risk of salmonella. To avoid this, always defrost chicken thoroughly, stuff the neck end only (not the cavity) and make sure it is cooked through (to do this insert a skewer into the thickest part of the leg: if the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked). A good tip is to cut through the skin between the legs and the breasts halfway through cooking.
- Stuff the neck cavity only and add this to the total weight before roasting. A halved lemon or onion, or a few fresh herb sprigs in the cavity will add to the flavour.
- Brush the chicken with melted butter before putting into the oven.
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