Help me prove i am not useless! I need your perfect ways to do a roast (chicken)

[MerlinsBeard]

I have never roasted a chicken before please don't laugh - either Sainsbo or DP usually do it. Have the chance to do it in bits during the day tomo while DS1 is at school and DS2 sleeps.

So....I have a chicken currently defrosting in the fridge - will be done by morning...what the hell do i do with it? surely i don't just bung it in?

I have potatoes ready for roasting - again wtf do i do once i have peeled them

If i roast carrots while the potatoes are doing will they be nice? (never had them roasted before) again what do i do?
Thank goodness there are instructions on paxo and that my gravy and yorkshires are coming out of a packet!

dont wash it - you get germs all over the place

I brine my chicken for at least 6 hours. It results in a really moist chicken with crispy skin.

Then, remove from brine, pat dry and bring to room temperature. Put lemon sliced into 4 into the cavity.

Put breast side up in preheated oven which is set at 220. Cook for 20 minutes. Turn chicken to breast side down and palce in oven which has been tuned down to 180-190. Cook until dark meat juices run clear.

add chopped fresh thyme to juices and baste chicken. Put on cutting board and let rest.

I put a small amount of water (about a small wine glass worth) in the dish, stops chicken drying out and mixed with juices and olive oil/butter gives you a nice 'jus' to serve with it.

I butter the pan
Heaviy butter the bird
Mix honey and brown sugar together
cover bird in honey mixture
cover with tin foil
remove tin foil for last 20minutes

mine is still frozen a little bit so can't do anything with it yet!

wouldn't mind if it was just for DP and I but DPs bro and his girlf are coming tonight!

is basting just pouring the juices over?

today is not a day to find out your oven glove has a hole in OUCH

I don't baste it..it still ends up moist because chickens are usually so fat these days..I find basting makes it too greasy ditto cooking upside down..I think the skin crisping up is better

If you want to make a great roast chicken you should get hold of Jamie Olivers 'Perfect Roast Chicken' recipe from his Naked Chef book.

We make this on special occasions. Lots of stuff like butter, lemon juice and herbs are stuffed into the skin and when it cooks it infuses the chicken with some beautiful flavours and keeps it really moist.

We have used this a number of times now and everyone always laps it up.

well did it work..are you pleased and what did you actually do?

in the words of bernard matthews....Bootiful

Thank you for all your help,i kind of did a mixture of most suggestions! Lovely crispy skin and juicy despite the fact that i 'chickened out' (sorry couldn't think of a better word!) of sticking my hand INSIDE it!

Potatoes were lovely too

thank you MN

does a lemon really work can you taste it in the chicken? I normally use apple and onion.