This is a riff on Jamie Oliver’s Perfect Roast Chicken, circa 1999. Really good with gravy, mashed potato, roast cauliflower and/or broccoli…
Ingredients
1.8kg Chicken
2 Lemon quarters
5 Rosemary sprigs
1 Bunch Fresh basil
3 Sprigs Fresh oregano
5 Bay leaves
Chilli flakes
3 Garlic cloves
Olive or Macadamia oil
Salt & pepper
Roasting twine
Directions
- Wash chicken and pad dry with paper towel
- Fill bilateral pouches in the potential space between the breast meat fascia and skin with basil, oregano, oil, salt, pepper
- Place quartered half lemon, rosemary, bay leaves in body cavity
- Rub spare herbs, oil, salt, pepper over chicken
- Place rosemary and bay leaves between legs and wings and body then tie up chicken with twine
- Cut leg meat to aid thorough cooking
- Place the chicken breast down in heated heavy pot
- Place pot in 200 C degree pre-heated oven for 10 minutes
- After 10 minutes, turn chicken over and cook on the chicken’s base breast side up
- Cook chicken for another hour (total oven time 80-90 minutes)
- Take chicken out, let stand for 10 minutes
- Capture juices for use in gravy