Roasting a chicken

[dumpling123]

I need to learn how to roast a chicken. I've never roasted a whole chicken from scratch by myself as I hate touching raw meat. I remember my mother pulling the insides out of chickens (shop bought) every weekend when we were younger and the thought of putting my hand inside the chicken and trying to clean it really freaked me out!

Hope the wise mumsnetters might be able to answer some queries:
Do I have to clean out the cavity or is that all done nowadays when you buy it in supermarket?
Do I need to put chicken on a roasting rack or can I just put it straight into a tin / oven dish?
Should I put some water in bottom of roasting dish when cooking it like I do with a joint of beef?
Should I cover the chicken with tinfoil for roasting?
How do you know when it's cooked, without a meat thermometer/probe?

Supermarket chickens don't have the giblets in so there's nothing in the cavity.
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Just pop it in a roasting tray (I sit mine on onions and carrots so it doesn't stick to the bottom and also to help with the gravy). No need to cover in tin foil. Little bit of oil, salt n pepper and your good to go if your keeping it simple.
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A large chicken should cook in 80-90 mins in 200° fan oven. I've never had a meat thermometer but use a skewer through the biggest part of the leg meat and the breast and the juices should run clear and also the drumstick will just pull away with no resistance. Any colouring in the juices it's not done and needs a bit longer.

Exactly as the first reply!

If you really wanted the easy choice, and you are not counting every penny, you can get ready to roast chicken in a roasting bag already. You just dump the whole thing in the oven for a while, then cut the bag open, and pop back in the oven. No touching of meat required.

You can buy ready to cook chickens that come in a roasting bag from supermarkets. You just put the whole thing on a roasting tray then towards the end you cut a hole in the bag to brown the skin. You dont need to touch the raw chicken at all. You can also buy ready to cook chicken breast crowns which come all prepared in a tray. Waitrose are nice. I always cook chicken for an extra 15 mins and when you stick a sharp knife in it then only clear juice should come out. If you want to use a normal fresh chicken then it comes without giblets which are the innards. Dont wash it as that spreads germs. Put it on a rack inside a tray lined with foil. Prick the skin and legs with a fork. Put some butter, salt and pepper on the skin. Some people put half a lemon or a peeled potato up its bottom to help it stop drying out. Make sure you wash your hands and any utensils. I dont touch the chicken with bare hands. I use forks. Jamie Oliver has a how to cook lesson.

Thank you both very much! Going to brave it!

Chicken in a roasting bag for you OP.

When you get over your revolution of meat and get past the bags, place the oiled and seasoned chicken in the oven on high heat and upside down, then leave it to rest.

We had roast chicken today. I put it in a Pyrex dish, stuck butter, salt and parsley on top and put garlic, celery, lemon and onions around the bottom. It was delicious.

I made this yesterday, minus the pear and watercress.

It was really really easy & probably the best meal I have ever made.

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/cumberland-roast-chicken/

Jamie Oliver's new family cooking show started with a roast chicken - you can watch it on catch up as it was only on last week or look at it here www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/cumberland-roast-chicken/
He goes through the steps quite clearly.

Oops - cross posted with Scrap2020

@dumpling123

By the way, you can watch him cook it as it was on his T.V show this week, probably C4 catch up.

We've discovered spatchcocking. Cooks quicker and doesn't dry out. (Weird word for a fairly tame activity!)

I rub mine down with butter then season with salt and herbs. Also put a stick of butter in the cavity then just plonk it in a roasting dish and in the oven

I stick half a lemon in the cavity, bit of butter, salt, pepper on the top and squeeze the other half lemon over it.

Not sure the lemon makes much difference but I must have read about it somewhere years ago and have just kept doing it.

@babsnet

We've discovered spatchcocking. Cooks quicker and doesn't dry out. (Weird word for a fairly tame activity!)

I'm not sure this is the way to learn to roast a chicken for someone who doesn't like touching meat