Roast Chicken with roasted vegetables

There is nothing better than a good roast chicken with roasted vegetables on a Sunday night. You may think that roast chicken is too time consuming or are afraid you will under cook it but don't worry, once its in the oven you are free to do what you want. As for under cooking the chicken its simple, cook the chicken until the legs move freely in the joint or cook for 20 minutes a pound. I like to use Jamie Oliver's roast chicken recipe as a guide. His method of putting a boiled lemon inside the chicken makes it so moist and flavour full I don't think I would ever cook a whole chicken again without using a lemon in it.
4 1/2 lb chicken
sea salt and black pepper
1 large lemon
fresh thyme
fresh rosemary
butter
Take your chicken out of the fridge about half an hour before you are going to cook it. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil you lemon for about 3 minutes and remove it from the water. Carefully take the lemon in your hand, I find putting a folded tea towel or an oven mitt in my hand first and then picking up the lemon keeps me from getting burnt. Prick the lemon about 10 times with a knife before you place it in the chicken.

Put the rosemary and thyme inside the cavity of the chicken before you put the lemon in. Lift up the skin from the flesh of the chicken with your fingers so that you can get some of the thyme and rosemary under the skin. Rub the butter all over the chicken, this will make it go nice and crispy golden colour.

Put the chicken in the oven and turn down the temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes, remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes.

 

If like me you like roasted vegetables with your chicken then put them in the oven for the last 45 minutes of cooking. Quarter and parboil all or your vegetables for about 3 minutes before putting them in the over. Put all the parboiled vegetables in an oven safe dish and toss with olive oil, rosemary, thyme and 4 or 5 whole garlic cloves. Crush the garlic with the palm of your hand before putting them in with the vegetables so you get the flavour of the garlic without getting a big chunk of garlic on your vegetables. Once they are all covered in olive oil and in a single layer season with salt and pepper and put them in the oven for 45 minutes. 

 

Once the chicken has sat for 15 minutes carve and serve. I hope you like this chicken as much as I do :) Its really flavourful and never dry.