There are not many British institutions that I will wholeheartedly stick by. I couldn't give a shit about the Post Office and I intend to join my sister in working my way through her Michael Jackson karaoke CD while the Queen insincerely mumbles her annual speech on the BBC this Christmas. And don't even get me started on the BBC. Sunday roast however, is something I can get behind, and will wave a Union Jack at whilst humming the theme tune to Dad's Army.
Over the next few weeks, I will be posting a selection of roast dinner dishes, starting with meat, which will also be perfect additions to a Christmas dinner.
The variations of a roast dinner are endless, whether you create meat-free feast, a deliciously spiced, slow-roasted joint of red meat, or something plain and traditional, and it will always be delicious. It's a great way to feed a group of friends on the cheap, or provide you with days worth of leftovers if you're on your tod.
The flagship roast has to be chicken, and this lemon, herb and butter basted version is a fine example of a Sunday favourite. Rubbing the flavoursome butter under the skin not only allows the flavours to permeate into the meat, but also helps keep it mouth-wateringly moist.
Ingredients (serves 4 with leftovers)
1 free range chicken weighing 1.5kg
50g of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
5-6 sprigs of thyme
1 small handful of tarragon
1 small handful of parsley
Salt/Pepper
Directions
Cream the butter in a small bowl. Grate in the zest of the lemon, crush in the garlic and mix.
Chop all the herbs together until fine and add to the butter. Stir thoroughly and season.
At the leg end of the chicken, slide your hand under the skin on either breast to move the skin away from the meat. Do the same with the legs.
Take handfuls of the butter mixture and rub under the skin until the chicken is evenly coated and the butter is all gone.Slice the lemon into wedges and place inside the chicken cavity.
Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and place in the oven at 250C/Gas Mark 6 for 30mins. Reduce the heat to 175C/Gas Mark four and roast for a further hour, basting with the roasting juices every 20mins.
Check that the leg wiggles from the main body easily and that the juices run clear and remove from oven. If they don't return to the oven for 15mins at a time until they do.
Once removed from the oven, rest for 20mins, then carve.
Image Via Food Network