Food and Cooking

Roast chicken with garlic and lemon: RECIPE

Roast chicken with garlic and lemon.

Ingredients
For the chicken
1 large whole chicken weighing about 2kg/4½lb, or 2 small whole chickens weighing about 1kg/2¼lb each
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, 1 halved, 1 juice only
1 head garlic, cut in half
30g/1oz fresh lemon thyme
150g/5½oz unsalted butter, softened
100ml/3½fl oz water
For the chicory salad
1 garlic clove, crushed
30ml/1fl oz white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
100ml/3½fl oz vegetable oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 chicory, chopped

Roast chicken
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

For the chicken, season the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place the halved lemon, garlic and lemon thyme inside the chicken. (If using two chickens divide these ingredients between the two.) Place the chicken onto a roasting tray, smearing the skin with butter. Place in the oven and cook for 1-2 hours, basting occasionally until completely cooked and the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part.

Ten minutes before removing the chicken from the oven, pour the water into the roasting tray. When the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and squeeze the fresh lemon juice over the chicken. Leave to rest for 15 minutes before straining the juices into a pan to keep warm.

For the chicory salad, place the garlic, white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard into a bowl. Whisk in the oil gradually and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the dressing to the chicory and mix well.

To serve, carve the chicken and place on to serving plates with the chicory salad and some of the juices from the chicken pan.

Source: BBC FOOD