If I am cooking a whole chicken, my favorite is this Lemon Roast Chicken recipe. It is one of the best I have ever cooked. The chicken remains moist and succulent with soft flavors of lemon and garlic.
It is simple to make and makes a great roast for a Sunday lunch served with Yorkshire Puddings or cold for a summer lunch or picnic.
It is simple to make and makes a great roast for a Sunday lunch served with Yorkshire Puddings or cold for a summer lunch or picnic.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 3 lb 5oz/ 1.5kg roasting chicken
- 1 stick/110g butter, softened
- 1 medium lemon, halved
- 1 bulb garlic, skin on and halved across the bulb
- 3½fl oz/100ml dry white wine
- ½ pint/200ml chicken or vegetable stock
Preparation:
Serves 4
- Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas 6.
- Place the chicken breast side up in a deep roasting tin. Massage the softened butter all over the chicken breasts, legs and sides.
- Tuck one half of the lemon and one half of the garlic into the chicken cavity. Squeeze the juice of the second half over the chicken breast, and pop the squeezed lemon into the roasting tin with the second half of the garlic bulb.
- Place the roasting tin into the oven and cook for 1 hr 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the tin and wrap tightly in aluminum foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
- Place the roasting tin on a medium heat on the stove top and bring the juices up to a gentle simmer. Raise the heat to high and add the white wine. Stir the wine and juices thoroughly and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chicken or vegetable stock, stir again and simmer until reduced by one third.
- Unwrap the chicken and add any juices released by the chicken into the sauce and bring back to the boil. Remove from the heat, and strain into a warmed sauceboat or jug.
- Serve the chicken immediately with the sauce on the side.
