Name: Roast chicken
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour and 50 minutes + 15 minutes resting time
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2kg whole chicken; 1 lemon, halved; good handful fresh herbs (rosemary and thyme are ideal); freshly ground black pepper; 300ml boiling water

A simple way to roast a chicken, perfect for sharing.

Serves

Prep

10 minutes

Cook

1 hour and 50 minutes + 15 minutes resting time

Nutritional Information:

Each 181g serving contains (excludes serving suggestion)

KCal: 209
Carbs: 0.3g
Fibre: 0.4g
Protein: 37.1g
Fat: 6.5g
(Medium)
Saturates: 1.8g
(Low)
Sugars: 0.2g
(Low)
Salt: 0.33g
(Low)
Fruit/Veg Portion: 0

What makes a healthy, balanced diet?

Ingredients

2kg whole chicken
1 lemon, halved
good handful fresh herbs (rosemary and thyme are ideal)
freshly ground black pepper
300ml boiling water

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Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.

Step 2

Place the chicken onto a rack and place over a roasting tin. Squeeze the lemon over the bird and place the lemon shells in the cavity of the bird.

Step 3

Place some of the herbs on top of the bird and place the remaining herbs into the cavity. Season with black pepper.

Step 4

Pour the water into the roasting tin, then place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes per kilo, plus 20 minutes (1 hour and 50 minutes for a 2kg bird), topping up the water if necessary.

Step 5

Take out of the oven, cover with foil and allow to stand for 15 minutes.

Step 6

Remove the skin, carve, and serve with plenty of vegetables and potatoes.

Recipe tips

To check if the chicken is cooked, pierce the skin between the thigh and breast – the juices should be clear.
If using the pan juices to make gravy, pour into a jug and allow to stand for a few minutes. The fat will float to the top and can be removed with a spoon before making the gravy.
Freezing instructions: Suitable for freezing once cooked. For convinience, you can freeze this dish in portions, then defrost in the fridge or microwave and reheat thoroughly until piping hot throughout.