Step-by-step roast chicken

Master the art of cooking the perfect roast chicken and you’ll never be short of dinner guests!

Few people can resist a golden, tender roast chicken. It’s the ultimate comfort food, and mastering the art of cooking the perfect roast chook is well worth doing, as it’s one of those never-fail meals that you know will always be enjoyed and savoured.

Our recipe can be customised to suit your own tastes. Stuff the chicken with different herbs (parsley, rosemary, oregano or basil would all be good) or rub the skin with your favourite spices to create your own signature dish.

For the best results, use a free-range or organic chicken – it will cost a bit more, but the flavour will be much better. Look for those from Glenloth, Thirlmere or Kangaroo Island.

You will need
Serves 4

2kg free-range or organic chicken
1 lemon, halved
6 thyme sprigs
4 marjoram sprigs
4 sage sprigs
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled, bruised
20g butter, softened

1. Preheat oven to 200˚C. Rinse chicken cavity, leaving any internal fat intact. Using paper towels, pat chicken dry thoroughly. Season cavity generously with salt and pepper then stuff with ½ lemon, herb sprigs and garlic.
2. With chicken breast-side up, tuck wings under shoulders. Wrap a 1m-long piece of string around legs twice and tie underneath. Pull up along insides of legs, so string runs along underside of breast. Loop over wings and tie tightly at back.
3. Place chicken in a roasting pan. Brush with butter and juice from ½ lemon. Season to taste. Roast for 1 hour 20 minutes, basting with juices and turning every 20 minutes, or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced.

Tips and tricks

• Roasting a chicken will take approximately 20 minutes for every 500g of weight.  
• Many people believe a roast just isn’t complete without the vegies. To roast vegetables with your chicken, allow chicken to cook for 30-40 minutes then add vegetables to the pan. Try potatoes, baby carrots and shallots.

Cook’s tip
Before carving, allow chicken to stand for 15-20 minutes – this gives the juices time to settle. Carve the breast meat in long thin slices, then remove the legs with the thighs and cut in half at the joint.

Words, recipe & food preparation: Lisa Featherby. Photography: Andrew Lehmann. Styling: Amber Keller.