- Hearty & Grounding
- Mains
- Prep 25 min
- Cook 1 h 45 min
- Serves 4 to 5
The dinner that holds a family together. The vegetables roast underneath the bird and soak up all the juices, and the pan gravy is made from what is left. Put it in the oven and let the afternoon go by.
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 whole chicken (about 1.8 kg)
- 50 g soft butter
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
- A few sprigs thyme
- Salt and black pepper
For the vegetables
- 800 g potatoes, in large chunks
- 4 carrots, in thick batons
- 3 parsnips, in thick batons
- 2 red onions, in wedges
- 3 tbsp olive oil
For the gravy
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 400 ml chicken stock
- 1 tsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
Method
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Heat the oven to 200°C.
- Pat the chicken very dry. Rub the butter all over, season generously inside and out, and put the lemon, garlic and thyme in the cavity.
- Toss the vegetables with the oil and a good pinch of salt in a large roasting tin. Set the chicken on top, breast side up.
- Roast for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, stirring the vegetables once, until the skin is deep golden and the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh (75°C).
- Lift the chicken onto a board and cover loosely with foil. Rest for 20 minutes. Keep the vegetables warm in the oven.
- For the gravy, pour most of the fat out of the tin, leaving about 1 tablespoon and all the sticky bits. Stir in the flour over medium heat for 1 minute, then whisk in the stock and soy sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes and strain.
- Carve the chicken and serve with the vegetables and hot gravy.
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