Jamie's
Roast Chicken
Recipe

This is possibly the best roast chicken recipe that I have ever come across.

The secret ingredient in this particular roast chicken recipe is a simple, fresh lemon! By placing a hot, steaming lemon inside the cavity, the flavor of the chicken is enhanced, and the flesh is kept moist. The garlic adds an extra dimension, but can be omitted if not to your taste.

This recipe requires only minimal preparation and virtually no special culinary skills.

Roast Chicken with Lemon and
Rosemary Roast Potatoes

A Jamie Oliver Recipe

1 x 4 1/2lb (2kg) free range, organic chicken
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 1/2lb (2kg) potatoes, peeled
1 small, preferably unwaxed, lemon
1 whole bulb of garlic, broken into cloves
a handful of fresh thyme
olive oil
a handful of fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
optional: 8 rashers of smoked, streaky bacon

METHOD

• Wash the chicken under cold running water and then dry thoroughly with kitchen paper.
  

• Rub the chicken inside and out with a generous amount of salt and freshly ground black pepper. If time permits, do this several hours before, then cover and refrigerate.
  

• Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.
  

• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cut the potatoes into golf ball size pieces, put them into the water with the whole lemon and cook for 6 minutes.
  

• Drain the potatoes and allow them to steam in the covered pan for 1 minute (this will give you crispier potatoes), then remove the lemon and garlic. Toss the potatoes in the pan while still hot so their outsides get chuffed up and fluffy - this will make them lovely and crisp when they roast.
  

• While the lemon is still hot, carefully pierce it with a sharp knife or skewer 8 or 10 times.
  

• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator, pat it dry with kitchen paper and rub it all over with olive oil.
  

• Now for the "secret ingredient" in this roast chicken recipe! Push the garlic cloves, the whole lemon and the thyme into the cavity. Then put the chicken into a roasting tin and cook in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes basting it every 20 minutes or so.

Now while this roast chicken recipe virtually looks after itself, you can continue preparing any other dishes.....or simply relax with a glass of wine!

• Remove the chicken from the oven and carefully lift it out of the roasting tin and onto a warm plate.
  

• Toss the potatoes and rosemary leaves in the chicken fat until they are well coated. Make a gap in the center of the potatoes and replace the chicken into it.
  

• If you are using the bacon, lay the rashers over the chicken breast and cook for a further 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are nice and golden.

TIP
You can tell the chicken is cooked when the thigh meat pulls easily away from the bone and the juices run clear.

• If you have used the bacon, remove it from the chicken and break it up over the potatoes.
  

• Remove the lemon and garlic from inside the chicken. Squeeze the garlic flesh out of the skin, and smear it all over the chicken.
  

• Discard the lemon and rosemary and carve the chicken at the table with the crispy roast potatoes. Heaven!

The next time that you are having friends over for a casual dinner party, please do try this simple roast chicken recipe. I like to serve a good big bowl of lightly dressed salad or if I'm feeling extravagant, asparagus Hollandaise as a side dish - it really doesn't need anything else - it's that easy!

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