Succulent Roast Chicken + Veg
Serves 4
Preparation Time: 15 mins +marination / Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins
A good roast chicken is loved by everyone in my house – even the Good Parsi Kid! I’ve tried a few different methods to cook the chicken, but have found the best way to get a juicy and tender toast is to cook it at low temperatures for a long period of time. You can add whatever vegetables you prefer, and whatever spices/herbs you like on your chicken. Please note that cooking times can vary slightly depending on the size of your chicken, as mentioned in the recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 tbl olive oil
- 1 tbl mixed herbs and spices (ideas: oregano, onion powder, thyme, basil, paprika, chilli, cumin)
- 1 whole chicken, excess fat and organs removed (approximately 1.5 kg)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 lemon
- 10 cloves of garlic
- 1 brown onion, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
- 2 Carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
- 1 large Zuccini, washed and chopped into 1 inch chunks
- 2 large Japanese eggplants, washed and chopped into 1 inch chunks
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
- Few grinds of pepper
TIP – You can also use a readymade chicken rub mix if you like. There are some good ones out there with natural ingredients!
Method
- Mix the olive oil and mixed herbs and spices in a medium bowl.
- Add the chicken and coat properly with the herb and oil.
- Cut the lemon into quarters and squeeze the juice evenly over both sides of the chicken. Push the juiced lemon quarters into the chicken cavity.
- Sprinkle the salt evenly on both sides of the chicken, and leave the chicken to marinate for at least an hour or overnight, if possible.
- Shortly before you’re ready to roast, preheat oven to 150⁰C.
- In a medium oven roasting pan, scatter the cloves of garlic, onion, carrots, and potatoes.
- Add a few grinds of pepper to the vegetables and roughly mix. NOTE – No oil is required as the juices from the chicken coat the vegetables and assist in cooking.
- Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, breast side up, and place roasting dish into the middle of the oven.
- Cook for 45 minutes, then remove the roasting dish from the oven and remove the chicken onto a large plate. TIP – I find the best way to remove the chicken is to insert a pair of tongs into the cavity, press a fork into the opposite end and carefully lift on to the place.
- Add the zucchini and eggplant to the dish, and toss to coat all vegetables in the chicken fat/juices.
- Place the chicken back on top of the vegetables, this time thigh side up and cook for a further 15 minutes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 180⁰C, and cook for remaining 30 minutes. NOTE – Depending on the size of your chicken, you may need more or less time at this temperature. The best way to check is to insert a knife/skewer in the join of the thigh and body of the chicken and gently press to see if the juices run clear. If there is a hint of pink the chicken needs to be cooked for 10-15 minutes longer. Keep checking at 10 minute intervals to make sure you don’t overcook and dry out the chicken.
- Once the chicken is properly cooked, remove dish from the oven and cover with the matching lid or foil. Leave to rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove lemon from the chicken cavity.
Carve up the chicken into quarters or eighths, and serve with vegetables and your favourite tomato/chilli sauce or gravy.
Enjoy! GPW