BAKING CHICKEN RECIPE RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. To make the brine, toast the peppercorns in a large pan on a high heat for 1 minute, then add the rest of the brine ingredients and 400ml of cold water. Bring to the boil, then leave to cool, topping up with another 400ml of cold water.
  2. Meanwhile, slash the chicken thighs a few times as deep as the bone, keeping the skin on for maximum flavour. Once the brine is cool, add all the chicken pieces, cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge for at least 12 hours – I do this overnight.
  3. After brining, remove the chicken to a bowl, discarding the brine, then pour over the buttermilk, cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for a further 8 hours, so the chicken is super-tender.
  4. When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
  5. Wash the sweet potatoes well, roll them in a little sea salt, place on a tray and bake for 30 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, make the pickle – toast the fennel seeds in a large pan for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Pour in the vinegar, add the sugar and a good pinch of sea salt, then finely slice and add the cabbage. Place in the fridge, remembering to stir every now and then while you cook your chicken.
  7. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder, cayenne, paprika and the onion and garlic powders.
  8. Just under half fill a large sturdy pan with oil – the oil should be 8cm deep, but never fill your pan more than half full – and place on a medium to high heat. Use a thermometer to tell when it’s ready (180°C), or add a piece of potato and wait until it turns golden – that’s a sign it’s ready to go.
  9. Take the chicken out of the fridge, then, one or two pieces at a time, remove from the buttermilk and dunk into the bowl of flour until well coated. Give them a shake, then place on a large board and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
  10. Turn the oven down to 170°C/325°F/gas 3 and move the sweet potatoes to the bottom shelf.
  11. Once the oil is hot enough, start with 2 thighs – quickly dunk them back into the flour, then carefully lower into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Fry for 5 minutes, turning halfway, then remove to a wire rack over a baking tray.
  12. Bring the temperature of the oil back up, repeat the process with the remaining 2 thighs, then pop the tray into the oven.
  13. Fry the 4 drumsticks in one batch, then add them to the rack of thighs in the oven for 30 minutes, or until all the chicken is cooked through.
  14. Serve with your baked sweet potatoes, cabbage pickle and some salad leaves.

Steps:

• 1. Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before you want to cook it, to let it come up to room temperature.
  2. Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/gas 9.
  3. Wash and roughly chop the vegetables – there’s no need to peel them. Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled.
  4. Pile all the veg, garlic and herbs into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with oil.
  5. Drizzle the chicken with oil and season well with sea salt and black pepper, then rub all over the bird. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
  6. Carefully prick the lemon all over, using the tip of a sharp knife (if you have a microwave, you could pop the lemon in these for 40 seconds at this point as this will really bring out the flavour). Put the lemon inside the chicken’s cavity, with the bunch of herbs.
  7. Place the tray in the oven, then turn the heat down immediately to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and cook for 1 hour 20 minutes.
  8. If you’re doing roast potatoes and veggies, this is the time to crack on with them – get them into the oven for the last 45 minutes of cooking.
  9. Baste the chicken halfway through cooking and if the veg look dry, add a splash of water to the tray to stop them from burning.
  10. When the chicken is cooked, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the chicken to a board to rest for 15 minutes or so. Cover it with a layer of tin foil and a tea towel and leave aside while you make your gravy.
  11. To carve your chicken, remove any string and take off the wings (break them up and add to your gravy, along with the veg trivet, for mega flavour). Carefully cut down between the leg and the breast. Cut through the joint and pull the leg off.
  12. Repeat on the other side, then cut each leg between the thigh and the drumstick so you end up with four portions of dark meat. Place these on a serving platter.
  13. You should now have a clear space to carve the rest of your chicken. Angle the knife along the breastbone and carve one side off, then the other.
  14. When you get down to the fussy bits, just use your fingers to pull all the meat off, and turn the chicken over to get all the tasty, juicy bits from underneath. You should be left with a stripped carcass, and a platter full of lovely meat that you can serve with your piping hot gravy and some delicious roast veg.