Rosemary Scented Roast Chicken

I'm sure that I can't even recall one Sunday growing up that we did not have the big roast dinner each week. The meat would mostly vary between lamb, chicken, pork and beef. However for me what made the Sunday Roast so special were all the accompanying side dishes.

My favourites would include fresh herb stuffing, Yorkshire puddings and roast vegetables, which would all be quite suitably smothered in lashings of gravy. My own children also love the Sunday Roast dinner, however I don't make it nearly as often as my mother did. Even without going over-board on the side dishes it's inevitable that many pots and pans will be left for the washing, well after the delights of dinner have been enjoyed. It sometimes seems that I can spend as long at the kitchen sink as I did preparing the meal. Of course this will all change in a few years when my little men and woman are older.

They'll be only delighted to take over the reigns to give their mother a break on a Sunday afternoon. Well at least that's what I'm telling myself {all those with teenagers can mock now!}. I will always opt for a free-range chicken and when the budget allows an organic bird would be my choice. The taste of the better quality bird is certainly noticeable. Along with the additional nutrients it's worth spending the few extra euros.

Roast Chicken

Little is needed to enhance the flavour of a roast chicken, but I find butter is a good addition. It lends not only a buttery deliciousness to the flavour but also promotes a beautiful golden glaze to the cooked bird. Lemon and rosemary partner wonderfully with chicken. In this recipe I've added them to the butter and then gently pushed the zesty, herby butter underneath the skin, of the uncooked chicken. This adds such flavour to the chicken as well as leaving the meat wonderfully succulent. 

Ingredients

• 1 large free range chicken
• 150g soft butter
• 2 lemons, zest then quartered
• 1 sprig of rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 150mls white wine
• sea salt & freshly ground pepper
• 2 red onions, quartered
• 1 bulb of garlic, cut in half 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC fan /390ºF/gas mark 6.
2. In a bowl combine the softened butter with the zest of lemon and the finely chopped rosemary.
3. Carefully loosen the breast skin, of the chicken. Gently push the zesty, herby butter under the skin, taking care not to tear it.
4. Place two or three quarters of the lemon into the chicken's cavity, along with two sprigs of rosemary.
5. Drizzle over the white wine, then season well with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
6. Add the remaining lemon pieces to the roasting tray, along with the red onion and garlic. 
7. Place in the preheated oven for 20 mins per 1lb/454g of meat plus 20 minutes over. Remove the foil, for the last 20 mins of cooking, to allow the bird to brown. To be sure that the chicken is cooked insert a skewer into the leg and the juices of the chicken should run clear.

Once cooked, let the chicken rest on a plate, for 15 mins, to allow the juices to settle.

Carve the chicken and serve it alongside some roasted lemon, onion and garlic. The juices remaining in the roasting tray are perfect for drizzling over the meat as a flavoursome gravy.