BLOG'S 5TH BIRTHDAY: Roast Chicken with Lemon, Caramelised Garlic and Thyme
Quite unbelievably my blog turns 5 years old this week. Over 30 countries reached, over 500 recipes posted and over 100,000 views later, it feels like a good time to celebrate.
If I had to choose a handful of dishes that I could not live without, a roast chicken dinner would certainly feature. Crispy chicken skin is one of God's gift to the world and when it's covering gorgeously moist flesh perfumed with the heady flavour of garlic and the fresh lightness of lemon, it simply cannot be beaten! As a Northern girl I couldn't live without gravy and when it comes to sides, roast potatoes are the king. So without further ado, happy birthday, blog, and happy cooking to all of you!
Roast Chicken with Lemon, Caramelised Garlic and Thyme
Serves 4-6
1 whole chicken, 1.5-2kg
1 lemon
10 fresh thyme sprigs
1 large onions, sliced
3 celery sticks, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, bashed
1 tbsp oil
For the potatoes:
1kg baby new potatoes, scrubbed and halves
5 garlic cloves
handful fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
4 tbsp olive oil
For the gravy:
1 chicken stock cube
1 tbsp plain flour
400ml white wine
Heat the oven to its highest setting. Season the chicken inside and out then stuff it with the lemon and half the thyme. Spread the onions and celery in the bottom of a roasting tin. Scatter over the garlic and remaining herbs. Rub the chicken with the oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
Pull the legs slightly away from the body, then sit the chicken breast-side down, on top of the veg and put in the preheated oven. Immediately turn the heat down to 190C and cook for just over an hour (30 minutes per kg plus an extra 15).
While the chicken is roasting, put the potatoes on a large baking tray with the garlic and herbs, drizzle over the oil, season well and give everything a good toss. Roast in the oven with the chicken, stirring occasionally. They will be crisp and golden in about an hour.
For the most succulent meat, it's essential to rest the bird in a warm place, covered in foil, for 15 minutes while you prepare the gravy and any other side dishes. Put the tin over a medium heat. Crumble in the stock cube, whisk in the flour and leave to bubble for a dew minutes. Whisk in the wine a little at a time, letting it bubble a bit in between additions, then boil for a few more moments until the gravy is your desired thickness.
Pick out and discard the herbs and then strain into a gravy boat, pushing through all the good stuff. Carve the bird and then serve alongside the crispy potatoes, some simple vegetables and douse in gravy. Heaven!
If I had to choose a handful of dishes that I could not live without, a roast chicken dinner would certainly feature. Crispy chicken skin is one of God's gift to the world and when it's covering gorgeously moist flesh perfumed with the heady flavour of garlic and the fresh lightness of lemon, it simply cannot be beaten! As a Northern girl I couldn't live without gravy and when it comes to sides, roast potatoes are the king. So without further ado, happy birthday, blog, and happy cooking to all of you!
Roast Chicken with Lemon, Caramelised Garlic and Thyme
Serves 4-6
1 whole chicken, 1.5-2kg
1 lemon
10 fresh thyme sprigs
1 large onions, sliced
3 celery sticks, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, bashed
1 tbsp oil
For the potatoes:
1kg baby new potatoes, scrubbed and halves
5 garlic cloves
handful fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
4 tbsp olive oil
For the gravy:
1 chicken stock cube
1 tbsp plain flour
400ml white wine
Heat the oven to its highest setting. Season the chicken inside and out then stuff it with the lemon and half the thyme. Spread the onions and celery in the bottom of a roasting tin. Scatter over the garlic and remaining herbs. Rub the chicken with the oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
Pull the legs slightly away from the body, then sit the chicken breast-side down, on top of the veg and put in the preheated oven. Immediately turn the heat down to 190C and cook for just over an hour (30 minutes per kg plus an extra 15).
While the chicken is roasting, put the potatoes on a large baking tray with the garlic and herbs, drizzle over the oil, season well and give everything a good toss. Roast in the oven with the chicken, stirring occasionally. They will be crisp and golden in about an hour.
For the most succulent meat, it's essential to rest the bird in a warm place, covered in foil, for 15 minutes while you prepare the gravy and any other side dishes. Put the tin over a medium heat. Crumble in the stock cube, whisk in the flour and leave to bubble for a dew minutes. Whisk in the wine a little at a time, letting it bubble a bit in between additions, then boil for a few more moments until the gravy is your desired thickness.
Pick out and discard the herbs and then strain into a gravy boat, pushing through all the good stuff. Carve the bird and then serve alongside the crispy potatoes, some simple vegetables and douse in gravy. Heaven!
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