Back

Whole chicken

A 3 kg chicken serves 6 nicely. Extras:

See here for stuffing.

Prep

  1. Make the legs a bit prettier. Find the ball joint at the end of one of the drumsticks. Cut around the skin. Push the joint, twisting, until it snaps. Cut the ligaments etc. You should be left with a neat bit of bone sticking out of the drumstick. Repeat on the other side.
  2. Spatchcock the chicken. cf. youtube.
  3. Dry brine the chicken. Just rub salt all over the skin. You can rub it on the underside too if you like. Pour the salt into a bowl first - don’t dip into the salt box with chickeny hands!

You can do this the day before. Place on a tray, cover with ceran wrap and put in the fridge.

  1. Remove the thyme leaves from the stems and chop them
  2. Mince the garlic
  3. Mix it into softened butter
  4. You can put the bowl in the fridge, or just leave it out

You could keep the stems for the gravy? I haven’t tried this so I don’t know if it makes any difference.

Prep (on the day)

  1. Separate the skin from the breast meat, starting at the neck end. Pull the skin horizontally towards you, while pushing your fingers underneath.
  2. Fill the skin with herby butter, massaging from outside to spread it around.
  3. Insert the thermometer probe into the breast

You can make a trivet if you like. AFAICT it does nothing to aid the chicken. However, a halved onion in the roasting tray will be very tasty by the time the chicken is cooked (cut the root off but leave the skin on). Garlic will just burn and is probably just wasted.

Cooking

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C fan.
  2. Stick the chicken in for half an hour. You’re looking for the internal temperature to hit 65C.
  3. Leave it to rest for 30 mins. The internal temperature should continue to rise to about 75C.

You could layer on some bacon half-way through, but it will reduce skin crispiness.