HOW TO ROAST CHICKEN OVEN RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven and a roasting tray to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7.
  2. Pick and finely chop the soft herbs, halve the lemon and tear the bay leaves.
  3. Rub inside the chicken cavity with sea salt, then carefully grab the skin at the tip of the chicken breasts, making sure that it doesn't rip, and pull up gently. With your other hand gently separate the skin from the meat of the breast – it's normally connected by a little bit of tissuey-type stuff, and you can either leave this attached in the middle and make two little tunnels either side or you can try to cut away the middle.
  4. Sprinkle a little salt down the gaps that you have made, push in most of the chopped herbs and drizzle in a little oil.
  5. Push the lemon halves into the cavity along with the bay and rosemary sprigs, then pull the skin of the chicken breast forward so that none of the flesh is exposed, tuck the little winglets under, and tie up as firmly as possible.
  6. Rub a little oil all over the chicken skin, scatter over the remaining chopped herbs and season very generously with salt and black pepper. Slash each thigh about 3 or 4 times to allow the heat to penetrate directly.
  7. Remove the hot tray from the oven and drizzle with a little oil. Put the chicken into the tray, breast-side down and leaning to one side, then place in the oven. Roast for 5 minutes, then lean it to the other side, still breast-side down. Cook for another 5 minutes, then place the chicken on its bottom and cook for 1 further hour, or until golden and cooked through – the skin should be really crispy and the herbs will flavour the meat– this really must be the best roast chicken. Trust me – it's not fiddly, it's pukka.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Slice the lemon halfway through lengthways. Insert a sprig of thyme into the slit and place the lemon inside the cavity of the chicken.
• Strip the leaves from the remaining thyme stalks and place them in a bowl. Press the garlic cloves with the heel of your hand to lightly crush them. Remove the skins and add the garlic to the bowl.
• Pour the olive oil into the bowl. Using a pestle and mortar, a mini food processor or a hand blender, blend together the thyme leaves, garlic and olive oil. It should be quite liquid.
• Spoon the thyme, garlic and oil mixture all over the chicken, working it into all the nooks and crannies.
• Place the chicken in a roasting tray and pour over the remaining flavoured oil. Season the chicken generously with sea salt and black pepper.
• Cover the chicken loosely with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for another 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and roast for a further 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. It's fully cooked if the juices run clear when the bird is pierced in the thigh with a skewer.
• Turn off the oven and let the bird rest in the residual heat for at least 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, then carve.
• Stir the pan juices over the hob to heat through.
• Serve the carved chicken on a large platter and pour the pan juices over the top.