My Favourite Roast Chicken
Golden brown, crispy, highly seasoned and sinfully juicy; this classic roast chicken is my go-to for comforting, easy and delicious weekend dinners.
Whenever I roast a chicken, I always wonder why I don’t do it more often. There is nothing like a whole roasted, juicy, crispy-skinned chicken to comfort your soul. Roast chicken is so versatile and also an inexpensive way to feed the whole family. Roast chicken recipes are a dime-a-dozen and I have tried LOADS of different versions and techniques. This is my tried and true recipe that has never let me down.
I served this comforting classic with a healthy side of buttered garden peas and my recipe for Creamy Mushroom and Zucchini Polenta. I am also a die-hard fan of gravy, so I have included a quick recipe for gravy in this recipe. This gravy is a traditional “brown” gravy, much like what is poured over fries and cheese curds to make poutine. Drool.
The best part of roasting a whole bird for the family, is that you all sit down and enjoy a warm, homey meal together. Whip up your favourite sides, some fresh bread and get the house smelling INCREDIBLE with this tasty recipe. Don’t forget to keep the bones for homemade chicken stock!
How to choose your chicken?
When preparing a roast chicken, the most important ingredient is… you guessed it! Chicken. The quality of the chicken you use will make a huge difference in the flavour, texture and appearance of the final dish. Try to buy chicken that is organic or free-range, preferably fresh (not frozen) and always try to support your local butchers and farmers. If you can’t get to a butcher shop or a farm, head to your favourite grocery store and choose a fresh chicken that looks plump, evenly coloured and not sitting in its juices. The chicken should smell like chicken, not funky or fishy.
You DO NOT need to wash the chicken before cooking it. In fact, washing raw chicken could spread salmonella into your sink, which could contaminate your dishes, sponges etc… Just pat the chicken dry with a paper-towel to remove excess moisture and you are good to go.
DO NOT defrost chicken on the counter at room temp. Bacteria will start to breed on the chickens surface before the centre is defrosted. Best to defrost chicken overnight in the fridge or under running COLD water in a plastic container in the sink. If you defrost the chicken in the sink, make sure to clean the sink extremely well with soap and vinegar before using it for anything else.
Chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees F internal temperature. I highly suggest investing in a good quality meat thermometer, you will surely use it for other recipes and it ensures the chicken (and other meats) are always perfectly cooked. The thermometer should be inserted into the thickest part of the meat for a clear and accurate reading. If you can get your hands on an oven-safe meat thermometer, you’ll never have to open the oven to check the meat, the thermometer will yell at you when it’s time!
Step 1
Prep your ingredients.
1.5 kg (3.5 lbs) whole chicken, skin-on, dried using paper towel inside and out
2 onions, peeled & cut into quarters
1 lemon, zested & halved
3-4 bay leaves, fresh if possible
1/4 cup butter, unsalted, room-temperature
1 tablespoon rosemary, dry or fresh, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons sage, dry or fresh, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Montreal Chicken Spice, this is my secret weapon and I am obsessed with it.
Sea salt, to taste
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
2-3 carrots, medium size, peeled & roughly chopped
4-5 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 head garlic, halved
1 cup dry white wine
FOR THE GRAVY
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups (700 ml) chicken broth, homemade or store-bought (low-sodium)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce, or to taste
Step 2
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. If you have a “roast” setting, I find it works well for this recipe.
Pour the carrots, garlic, celery and 6 quarters of the onions into the bottom of a roasting pan. Season with a pinch of salt and a couple of twists of pepper, drizzle with a teaspoon of oil and toss everything together.
Step 3
Arrange the vegetables in one even layer over the base of the roasting pan. Pour the white wine directly over the vegetables.
Step 4
Place a roasting rack on top of the vegetables. If you don’t have a roasting rack, just carry on with the recipe.
Step 5
Combine the butter, lemon zest, spices and dried or fresh herbs in a small bowl.
Step 6
Mash everything together until it is a smooth paste.
Step 7
When the chicken is dried using paper towel. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the 2 remaining onion quarters, the halved lemon and the bay leaves. Alternate the aromatics as you push them into the cavity, lemon then onion, bay leaf and so-on.
Step 8
Rub the chicken with the butter all over. Make sure to get butter in the crevasse of the legs and underneath the chicken as well.
Season the chicken with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Step 9
When your oven is preheated, slide the chicken in and roast for around one hour (until the meat registers at 165 degrees F).
Check the chicken at 15 minute intervals to make sure the skin isn’t getting too brown. If the skin starts to burn, cover the chicken with aluminum foil to prevent further browning.
Step 10
When the chicken is cooked, the skin should be deep golden brown and crispy. The vegetables should be soft and juices will have collected in the roasting pan. Keep these for the gravy.
Step 11
Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Tent the chicken with foil and let it rest while making the gravy.
Step 12
Pour the vegetables, garlic and juices into a saucepan. Cover with chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the worcestershire sauce.
Combine 4 tablespoons of water with the flour in a small bowl until a loose paste is formed.
Stir the paste through the gravy and simmer until the gravy is thickened.
When the gravy is thickened, strain through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the vegetables.
Season the gravy to your liking and serve alongside the chicken.
Serve!
Cut the chicken into portions and serve!
Pictured here with simple buttery garden peas and Creamy Mushroom & Zucchini Polenta.
