Roast Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary Potatoes
Christmas is usually a time for turkey, but since we’re not celebrating this year, we didn’t order any. Instead, I decided to roast a small chicken in my oven. My oven is a cheap little contraption, but has so far done a stellar job baking cakes, macaroni and cheese, and garlic bread. A chicken should pose no problem.
| I need a simple roast chicken recipe, so naturally I googled for one; Jamie Oliver’s recipe seems easy enough, so I went with it. Taken from the book featured on the left. |
First step is to rub the chicken with salt and pepper, then let it sit for a while.
Cut potatoes into big chunks. Bring a pot of water to boil, parboil potatoes for about 12 minutes with a whole lemon and a whole bulb of garlic.
Chicken rubbed with salt and pepper
Drain water from the pot, and toss the potatoes a bit in the now-dry pot. Jamie says it gives the potatoes a crispier outer layer.
Parboiling potatoes with lemon
Stab the lemon thoroughly, and stuff into the chicken cavity. Break the cloves of garlic and stuff into chicken with some fresh thyme. Place chicken into a tray. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the chicken. I was quite generous with the olive oil. Put into pre-heated oven at 190 degrees Celcius, and cook for 40 mins. At this point, I ‘kecoh’ a bit and added some rosemary leaves on top the chicken.
Chicken ready for roasting
After 40 mins, take the tray out, remove the chicken. Add the potatoes and some rosemary leaves onto the baking tray, and toss it with the lovely chicken fat that should have cooked out from the chicken. Wrap the tips of the chicken wings and drumstick with some foil to prevent overcooking. Place chicken back into the tray, and cook for another 40 mins, or until the chicken is cooked.
In goes the potatoes
Once cooked, remove lemon and garlic from chicken. Mash the garlic and smear over the chicken. It is now ready to serve!
The final result
I have to say, we tore at the chicken like savages. And I am glad, I have roasted my first ever chicken!
Tags: Cooking, jamie oliver, lemon, roast chicken, rosemary
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