Top tips for fab roast chicken please!

[LaytonRocks]

I can roast a chicken so that it's perfectly nice - usually just follow pack instructions, rub with oil, season with salt and pepper, possibly rosemary and roast alongside red onions, basting occasionally.

In about an hour I'm going to be roasting a chicken and was just wondering if there's any top tips out there to make it extra scrummy?

Buy a really really good chicken, organic if poss.

Done that - I learnt that particular lesson the hard way - rubbish chicken = rubbish meal IMO!

Cook it upside down (breast side down in pan) for first half an hour. Makes breast much more tender.

Always leave to stand for 10 mins after. Really seems to help it stay moist.

Good luck.

I stick an onion cut in half and a lemon cut in half in the cavity. Squeeze the lemon juice over the bird first.

Right Egg - going to try that one today! Thanks!

Don't have any lemons in the house at the mo, but will try that next time Smac, thanks.

Everyone always goes citusy (sp). I sometimes spead a little ground cloves and alot of ground nutmeg onto the skin with butter. Its lovely.

Cooked as suggested Egg and it was very yummy indeed! Thanks!

Will bear all other suggestions in mind for another time - thanks for all hints!

Yay! It's silly I only just started doing this a few weeks ago despite my mum and sister recommending it for years! Makes a big difference and means DD actually eats the chicken!