Jamie Oliver Roast Chicken With Lemon Rosemary Roast Potatoes Food

WHOLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven and a roasting tray to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7.
• Pick and finely chop the soft herbs, halve the lemon and tear the bay leaves.
• Rub inside the chicken cavity with sea salt, then carefully grab the skin at the tip of the chicken breasts, making sure that it doesn't rip, and pull up gently. With your other hand gently separate the skin from the meat of the breast - it's normally connected by a little bit of tissuey-type stuff, and you can either leave this attached in the middle and make two little tunnels either side or you can try to cut away the middle.
• Sprinkle a little salt down the gaps that you have made, push in most of the chopped herbs and drizzle in a little oil.
• Push the lemon halves into the cavity along with the bay and rosemary sprigs, then pull the skin of the chicken breast forward so that none of the flesh is exposed, tuck the little winglets under, and tie up as firmly as possible.
• Rub a little oil all over the chicken skin, scatter over the remaining chopped herbs and season very generously with salt and black pepper. Slash each thigh about 3 or 4 times to allow the heat to penetrate directly.
• Remove the hot tray from the oven and drizzle with a little oil. Put the chicken into the tray, breast-side down and leaning to one side, then place in the oven. Roast for 5 minutes, then lean it to the other side, still breast-side down. Cook for another 5 minutes, then place the chicken on its bottom and cook for 1 further hour, or until golden and cooked through - the skin should be really crispy and the herbs will flavour the meat- this really must be the best roast chicken. Trust me - it's not fiddly, it's pukka.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH POTATOES & CARROTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7.
• Scrub, trim and halve the carrots lengthways.
• Scrub, peel and halve the potatoes, quartering any larger ones. Add to a large roasting tray.
• Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled, then lightly crush with the flat side of a knife. Pick the rosemary leaves, discarding the stalks. Add the garlic and rosemary leaves to the tray.
• Drizzle with oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, then toss well and spread out in an even layer.
• Rub the chicken all over with a pinch of salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil. Stuff the chicken cavity with the whole lemon and the thyme sprigs. Place the chicken in the tray, on top of the vegetables.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6, then add the chicken and roast for 45 minutes.
• Carefully remove the tray from the oven, use tongs to turn the vegetables over, then spoon any juices from the tray over the chicken.
• Return the tray to the oven for a further 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. To check, pierce a chicken thigh with the tip of a sharp knife - if the juices run clear, it's done. Otherwise return the tray to the oven, cook for a little while longer and repeat the test.
• Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a board and return the vegetables to the oven for a final 5 minutes to crisp up, if needed.
• Cover the chicken with a layer of tin foil and a tea towel, then leave to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Using a sharp carving knife, carve up the chicken, then serve with the roasted veg. Delicious with a green salad on the side.

ROSEMARY, GARLIC AND LEMON MARINADE

Steps:

• Mix everything together and massage on to your chosen meat. Leave the meat in the marinade until your ready to cook it;

ROSEMARY & LEMON ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Very finely chop 2 sprigs of the rosemary and mix with 2 tbsp of the butter and the garlic, lemon zest and chilli. Gently lift the skin away from the breast of the chicken and press the butter underneath on both sides. Rub the remaining butter on the outside of the chicken. Stuff the lemon inside the cavity.
• Place the chicken on a wire rack along with the carrots in a medium roasting tin. Season, then scatter with the remaining rosemary leaves. Roast the chicken for 1 hr 10 mins or until the juices run clear, then remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 mins before carving. Serve it on a board with the carrots and a bowl of the roasting juices.

LEMON & ROSEMARY ROAST CHICKEN WITH CRISPY POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Cut the potatoes into 2 mouthful-sized chunks and put in a large pan of salted water. Bring to the boil, cook for 5 mins, then drain. Meanwhile, place the olive oil in a really large, sturdy roasting tin and heat for 5 mins. Tip the potatoes in and cook for 20 mins.
• Meanwhile, peel the zest from the lemon (a vegetable peeler is great for this) and slice it finely. Mix it with the sea salt. Place the chicken on a board with the legs pointing towards you, and undo any string tied around. Lift up the skin around the cavity and work your fingers under the skin over the breast and legs, easing it away from the flesh. Push the salty shreds of lemon rind under the skin, spreading it as evenly as possible, followed by four sprigs of rosemary, one on each leg and one on each breast. Then put one sprig inside the bird along with the peeled lemon.
• Take the tin out of the oven, give the potatoes a good shake, and then arrange them so you can fit a rack over the roasting tin. Then place the chicken upside down on the rack and roast for 20 mins. Turn the chicken over and turn potatoes, coating them in the fat that's run off the bird. Return to the oven and roast for another 20 mins, then turn the potatoes again and cook for another 20-30 mins, until the chicken juices run clear.
• Remove the roasting tin from the oven and put the chicken on a serving platter, covering it with foil to keep it warm. Leave to rest for 20 mins. Meanwhile, scoop the potatoes into an ovenproof dish and return to the oven to finish crisping up. Pour away the fat from the roasting tin, then put the tin on the hob over a low to medium heat. Add half the stock, then bring to simmering point, stirring and scraping up the brown residue. Boil, reducing until darker and syrupy. Add the rest of the stock, and bring to simmering point again, bubbling to reduce it. Taste and adjust seasoning. Pour through a sieve into a warmed gravy jug.
• Pile the potatoes around the chicken, and garnish with remaining rosemary sprigs. Serve with gravy and braised lettuce.
• Freezing: Freeze the chicken at the end of step 2, for up to a month. Defrost thoroughly before continuing with the recipe.