This is super easy and works every time.
timing
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serve
6-8
material
- 2kg of high quality oven-baked chicken
- 2 small unwaxed lemons
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/170°C fan/gas mark 4.
- Trim any excess fat around the opening of the chicken. Season the inside well. Wipe the skin with paper towels to prevent it from sticking to the roasting pan.
- Roll the lemon under your palm on a work surface to soften it (I like to hit it with a rolling pin afterwards, but not so hard that it bursts), poke holes all over the lemon with a skewer, place this inside the bird and seal the cavity with a cocktail stick.
- Tie the legs together, but not too tightly. This will prevent them from spreading and the skin from tearing as the chicken cooks. Season the entire outside of the chicken.
- Place the bird, breast side down, in a roasting tray or baking dish so there isn’t too much space around the bird (otherwise the juices will evaporate and the bird will burn). Roast for 30 minutes, then flip the bird, breast side up.
- Roast for a further 15 minutes then increase the temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6 and roast for a further 15 minutes. The skin should be puffed and golden brown and the lemons should be producing delicious juice.
- When inserted between the leg and body of the bird, the juices should run clear with no pink residue. Plate whole and carve at the table, spooning some of the lemon-flavored cooking juices over each plate.
