The Perfect Roast Chicken

Lunch.

This is how I do my perfect roast chicken. You may do it differently and, lord knows, it's a dish that is open to many different variations, but this is what works for me.

So for the basics... get a free range, organic chicken. If it doesn't cost you at least a tenner... why bother? A cheap, supermarket chicken, for under a fiver is a disgusting affront to the animal, to cooking and the idea of good food. The poor bloody bird will have lived it's life in pain and misery... and that is not acceptable and, what's more, it will have a pappy, fatty texture and no taste.

I know... I know... we live in difficult times. Money is tight. And I get as fed up as anyone seeing multi millionaire chefs on the TV bang on about how you must spend the equivalent of most peoples monthly food budget on a single bottle of olive oil or you are a complete arse.

But buy a decent chicken and you will get two, maybe three meals out of it. Buy a cheap one and you get... very little. Maybe wind. And some things should cost a little more... it's a living animal, a living thing and deserves to be treated, and eaten, with respect.

Ok... off my soap box and back to how to cook the damn thing.

First I like to get my knife out and do some very basic butchery. I think it makes the bird look neater, but also maximises the flavour by creating a meaty trivet while minimising the amount of fat that can leach out, but it's also quite possible that I like to show off with sharp knives.

Trim off the tail (parsons nose), cut through the knuckle at the end of both legs (when the bird cooks, the flesh will pull back from the bone, rather than ripping) trim any excess skin round both ends, cleaning up the neck and remove the wish bone. This is a little fiddly and might take a few chickens to get right, but makes the carving of the bird a whole lot easier.  Then take both wings right off between the first and second section. Now you can carve and present the breast on the bone which makes it look a lot better. It also means that both wings can be used as a trivet and will caramelise under the bird to help create a richer, meatier gravy.

Insert half a lemon or half an onion up the birds chuff.

Smear with lots of butter and season with lots of salt and pepper. Add a couple of peeled carrots, a whole onion quartered (washed... but skin on...) and some whole un-peeled garlic gloves. Also what ever fresh herb you have... thyme being the absolute favourite. I often also sprinkle a few cumin seeds over the bird as well.

Bung in the over for 20 minutes at about 220, then turn down for about another 40 at 170-ish. Check that is cooked by pricking the legs and making sure the juices run clear. Let the bird stand for at least ten minutes uncovered.

Make the gravy in the pan... gravy is a whole different post.