Quick help! Roast chicken tonight and no lemon.

[TheOddity]

Please come up with a miracle solution ASAP as I need to put the chicken in the oven.

I just got back from shopping, heavily pregnant and sleeping child in pram. It's also raining. I need to get the chicken in and realised I forgot the lemon to shove up its bum.

Is there anything else that fills the cavity and tastes nice/keeps it moist? I have garlic but not sure I have the quantity for that job. A peach?! A potato?

Help!!

I don't think anything's necessary!

An onion works.

I havent ever put anything up a chickens bum, I think it'll be fine!

Just shove it in the oven- no need to put anything in it. But an onion would do. And the peach might be delicious. But nothing is fine!

You don't have to put anything in there you know...

Well I'm sure you do know as several people got there before me and my annoying...

You don't need to put anything in there.

Try an onion, a few cloves of garlic and a couple of bay leaves. Plenty of seasoning. If you've got some rosemary and sage shove that in too and smear the inside of the cavity with a good amount of butter.

Just leave it empty

It's a rare day that I do insert anything. Just roast it as it is.

Wow. Massive education. I feel I have been sacrificing lemons at the chicken alter. Might have to ditch that now if it's ok without. Right, just as I feel the chicken Lord may still expect a sacrifice I will stick a bit of Rosemary and sage up there with some butter. It will make me feel safer . Not sure if I can take he plunge and go naked just yet up there.

If you have to put something, put the peach.

i use onion and bayleaf
or cloves of garlic and peppercorns
or an apple

Onion is far nicer than lemon, as others have said maybe some thyme, bayleaf, parsley. A peach would be awful I think.

you can ever actualyl taste the lemon anyway ime

i never use one

My mother uses any citrus fruit to hand

I generally roast chickens without stuffing them with anything. I've used a lemon very occasionally but never noticed much of a difference.

The thread title should up for award of Middle Class dilemma of the week

with runners up:

" Help, Waitrose has sold out of balsamic, what do I do with these tomatoes now?"

and

" Help, my mung bean salad has ants in it (or are they goji berries?!how can one tell?)"

Never done it, but usually roast upside down for 45 mins to get the bottom a bit golden and then turn. V moist. Add a bit of water and it steams in the oven. I like to cook mine for 2 hours though till it falls off the bone. I like to add a lot of seasoning on the top. Cajun seasoning, herbs, garlic and a knob of butter.

I think you can slightly taste the lemon, I definitely prefer onion and would never, ever use any other sort of fruit.

I shove a lemon up the bum, or, for a change I mix mixed herbs with butter and crushed garlic and insert it under the skin and in the hole. I then cover it with foil until about half an hour before it's due to come out. Mmmmm, I want roast chicken dinner now!

reading this, I've just shoved garlic and herbes de provence in there.

Do you ladies cover the chicken with foil, or do you just leave it naked?

The thread title should up for award of Middle Class dilemma of the week

I was a bit perplexed that the OP didn't think it was possible, nay allowed, to roast a chicken without shoving something up its arse.

I mean, a peach? A POTATO?

Laughing with you, not at you Oddity

Wouldn't equate it with class, just someone who doesn't realise it's not necessary.

rain, I definitely do it naked, but with the water in the bottom of the tray. I like a crunchy skin, but meat falling off the bone.