Roast Chicken with Lemon and Herbs

Main courseServes 4

In these testing times, comfort food is a must and what’s more simple and delicious than a good roast chicken? This recipe from award winning East Yorkshire based Soanes Poultry uses lemon and herds but really bring out the flavour.  Serve with simple seasonal vegetable for a delicious spring supper. Soanes products are available throughout the region at farm shops and butchers. For more information visit soanespoultry.co.uk

Ingredients

Ingredients

1 large chicken (1.5 – 2kg)

3 – 4 tbsp plain flour

100ml white wine

400ml chicken stock

A few drops of gravy browning (optional)

For the herb butter

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

50g butter, softened

1 lemon, zest grated (retain the lemon for cooking)

Recipe from Foolproof Cooking by Mary Berry

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F, Gas 6.
  2. Make the herb butter by mixing all of the ingredients together.
  3. Push half of the butter under the chicken skin and spread the remainder over the top and the legs of the chicken.
  4. Cut the zested lemon in half and squeeze one half over the chicken and put the other inside the cavity.
  5. Place a rack in a roasting tin and sit the chicken on top of it. Roast in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (20 minutes per 450g plus an additional 20 minutes) until the meat is cooked through. To test if the chicken is cooked, insert a sharp knife into the thickest part of the thigh. The chicken is cooked when the juices run clear. Remove the tin from the oven, put the chicken on a chopping board, cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
  6. Place the tin with the cooking juices on the hob over a medium heat. Sprinkle over the flour, whisk until smooth then add the wine and stock and whisk until combined and bubbling.
  7. Add a few drops of gravy browning if liked. Pass the gravy through a sieve to remove any lumps and add salt and pepper to taste. Carve the chicken and serve with the gravy.