how do you do a roast chicken?

[lucysmam]

& I don't mean in the sense that I can't do a roast dinner, just wondered if anyone does anything with it apart from bung it in the oven to roast if that makes any sense?

Doing one this afternoon & was just curious what other people did really

Lots of salt on the skin to crisp it up

I just bung mine in the oven. I don't faff with basting, lemons, onions etc.

They eat it and ask for more.

I do like to stuff half a lemon inside the cavity if I have one hanging around.

And a couple of bay leaves tucked under the bird give it a really nice flavour.

I´m pretty generous with the salt and pepper too.

Sometimes I put lemon zest, garlic and rosemary in a pestle and mortar, bash it up, mix it with butter then squish it between the breast and the skin.

i put two onions in the tray and one in the cavity

lots of rosemary as well

3 or 4 whole heads of garlic (cut the tops off) and place those in the tray

a big splash of port or wine, and some water to help the gravy get going

rub the skin with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, honey and some paprika

cook breast down first to help it keep nice and moist

lemons & garlic sound good. not sure about salt though, giddykipper, I already smother everything in salt (very very bad I know but love the taste of anything salty)

ooooh, honey! yum

I just stick it on this and then get it out when done - perfect every time!

Looks good cantsleep but very expensive!

Do you really think 25 Euros is expensive for something that gets used every week for many years? I do have expensive taste generally, but wouldn't have put this in that category.
My mum bought a silicone spike to go up the middle recently, which does the same job - you just put it over whatever roasting tin you already have, but I'm not sure where she got it from. Must ask her, as was talking to someone else about them recently too.

CantSleepWontSleep, how much is 25 euros approx in £? That looks like a brill idea! n I bet its soooo much easier to clean than roasting tin!?

I often put whole onions and gaerlic cloves into the cavity and maybe fresh herbs if I have...

or sometimes, if I have fresh herbs (basil etc...) I cut into the chicken and stuff small amounts of herbs into those slashes!
(Also do that with Lamb and stuff fresh mint in..it tastes devine )

Yes it does clean easily.
Should prob have linked to english version of site. (Works out more expensive than using current exchange rate, but at least only postage from UK!)

Does that roaster thing hold the juices for the gravy?

hmmmm, I'm wondering what to try now. Never done anything more than just shove it in oven & cook!

Cheers CantSleepWontSleep, always on the look out for something new to try so will see if I can talk oh round by telling him it would save us me space in the kitchen

I sometimes stuff with onion/lemon and put a bit of butter under the skin. Also usually put foil over tin for the first hour or so and then take it off. Didn't do this the other night as I'd run out of foil and I did think it tasted a tiny bit drier.

If you do stick a lemon in it make sure you take it out after if you're planning to boil up the carcass to make stock.Otherwise you you'll be left with a horrible bitter taste in your mouth. From the stock.

I always seperate the skin from the flesh (while keeping it intact and still on the chicken) and then rub the flesh with lots of salt and pepper and crushed garlic (and sometimes nobs of butter if I'm feeling decadent).

If you just put salt and pepper on the skin the actual flesh doesn't get seasoned.

I do what oggsfrog does with lemon zest, garlic and rsoemary but also add a knob of butter, between skin and flesh then roast on top of the potatoes so the potatoes get the flavour too

ellie, will remember that. Didn't have a lemon so didn't try it this time. But I did chop sum herbs & garlic and mix them with butter rubbed on the flesh. It was yummy and we're all stuffed! Although you wouldn't know it the way oh and lo are running around the living room

i've got one in just now.

olive oil, Lakeland's Good with Everything, lemon juice, melted butter, garlic and fresh rosemary.

in at 180 for 1.5 hours although after 45 mins. i take it out, baste it turn it over and turn the rack round.

expat, I've never turned a chicken over in my life! Are you supposed to?

there's nothing really you're supposed to do besides cook it, i just turn it over so the breast bit goes all juicy.

oooh, ok then. Just wondered if I had missed something vital there!

Bit late, but got the details from my mum about the silicone spike. It's this. Surprisingly not much cheaper than my one, considering you still need a pan with this one.