What’s your favourite roast on a Sunday? If it’s chicken then you’re not alone! The combination of soft, tender meat and crispy skin make for a truly irresistible combination. There are many ways to roast a chicken but for a real show stopper, here are some of tips to give you the edge and guarantee a perfect chicken every Sunday!
Crispy Skin
Arguably the best part of a roast chicken has to be the crispy skin, but how do you get it so it’s just right? It’s all about getting the perfect oven temperature and using fat and salt.
Take the chicken out of the fridge at least half an hour before cooking to bring the bird up to room temperature and pat the skin dry, seasoning with plenty of sea salt flakes.
Place the chicken into a relatively hot oven – about 240 degrees centigrade – then immediately drop the temperature to 200 degrees centigrade. 10 minutes before the bird is cooked, turn the temperature back up to 240 to really crisp up the skin!
Brine
People often worry about their chicken drying out and lacking flavour and a great way of combatting this is with brine! Make a solution of salt and water and add any flavourings you like – bay leaves, lemon zest and garlic make great additions.
Place the whole chicken into the brine so it is fully covered and leave it to soak for 3-6 hours – any longer and it could result in being over seasoned. When you’re ready to roast it, fully dry the chicken but don’t rinse it. Roast as you normally would – the end result should have seasoned flesh throughout the full bird.
Flavoured Butter
If you don’t have time to make a full stuffing, a flavoured butter can make a simple roast chicken really special.
Combine a block of butter with a flavouring of your choice, lemon zest, thyme and rosemary is a classic option, or paprika and chilli flakes will give the bird a really lovely spiced flavour. For a real umami flavour, why not mix the butter with a tablespoon of Marmite? Don’t tell Marmite haters that it’s in there and they’ll never know! The end result is the most meaty, flavoursome chicken – really delicious.
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