first roast dinner help me!!!!

[SHIREENSMOM]

as you all prob no my boyf is asian and he doesnt like roast dinners but this year we have aggred that he will havr rost chicken on christmas day and i have never cooked a raost chicken befor( ask me how to make pilau rice and i can tell you but not a roast) all i need to no is how to cook the chicken(a medium sized chicken) and the rost potatoes im ok with all the veg and that oh i have a gas oven. pleas please please help

not that good at cooking myself - but most chickens havethe cooking instructions on the label - underneath you just need to peel it back -

roast potatoes - i parboil them them spray them with fry light cooking oil spray also spray the baking the spray they take about 40 mins - if all else fails aunt bessies are brill :0

as fairy mum has said - chicken instructions are always on back of packet. good tip- stick a couple of peeled garlic cloves and some rosemary inside before you pop it in the oven- lovely flavour- also smear a bit of butter all over it and then season with salt and pepper. literally just stick it in the oven for 20 minutes per pound (or 40 minutes per kilo), add another 20 minutes and hey presto. when you take it out stick a skewer or a v sharp knife into the breast and catch the juice that runs out in a little spoon. look at the juice and if it is clear (and not remotely pink ) it is cooked!
potatoes- do you want old fashioned very fattening yummy scrummy potatoes? if so then use lard (in butter bit of supermarket). delia has fantastic fool-proof instructions. hth

shireensmom: roasts aren't difficult, it's just getting all the timings right that's important! It's worth sitting down the night before and working out what time the oven is on, what temperature it's at and what time all the bits go in at what time.

If you're really feeling uncomfortable doing it, I can really recommend Grub on a Grant by Cas Clarke if you can find it anywhere - it's a really basic cookery book and has a great foolproof section on how to do a good roast and how to work out all the timings depending on weight etc.

You don't really need a book, but I tend to refer to it as my bible to double check the timings on the wrapper (of course if you buy direct from a butcher, it won't have a wrapper, so doubly handy!)

Roast potatoes? - save yourself the hassle and buy some frozen roast potatoes from M&S, they taste just fine and all you have to do is reheat them according to packet instructions

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Follow recipies, you can't go wrong (well you can, but its easier than guessing ) Heres loads of simple traditional ideas enjoy!

Right - very simple, no frills - 1 medium chicken, make sure you buy it withOUT giblets.
Preheat oven to about 200
Boil water, add salt and peel potatoes
Boil potatoes
Remove any string.
Run chicken under tap and let water run through the middle.
Pat dry with paper towels.
Put large baking tray in oven with some olive oil
Cut a lemon in half and put halfs inside chicken, this will keep meat moist
Dot chicken with bits of bitter and run salt in and grind some black pepper on it.
Cover chicken with tin foil for first part as it stop skin burning and just cooks meat.
Put chicken in oven
when potaoes are boiled drain from water and add to pan.
Make sure there is enough olive oil to have coated all the poatoes. You can add potaotes in same pan as chicken
After about 3o mins take foil off chicken
Should in theroy all be done in about 1.30 mins.During cooking turn potatoes now and then.

When ready to check chicken insert a sharp knife and see if juices run clear.
Put chicken on carving board and cover with tin foil and leave to sit for 10 mins or so.
Toss potaoes and give them a bit longer in oven while the meat reast.
Carve and enjoy!

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Small tip. When drying the chicken, I like to use a slice of bread. It soaks up the water fine and you don't have to worry if some breaks off and gets stuck inside the bird.

thanks for all your help im going to try cooking one on sunday ill tell you how i get on thanks againxxxxx

When it comes to christmas dinner I cheat and buy a butter basted turkey breast from Marks and Spencers, really easy as it's all prepared just stick it in the oven for as long as it says on the packaging and hey presto there you go. I pre order mine through their christmas food ordering system, last day to order is tomorrow (Friday 12th) though. I find that really easy as there are no bones in it, it's just this huge big turkey breast that you slice up and it feeds about 10 so depending on how many people you have over you might even have some left over for the next day and it's lovely and tasty and not dry at all. For roast potatoes I buy Aunt Bessies frozen roast potatoes that you put in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

I think I've roasted a Chicken once or twice in my entire life and it was ok fairly easy but I don't lke having to deal with all the bones when carving it up.

i buy it in slices from tesco deli.

Custardo is the funniest women on mumsnet(sorry to bash into a thread) but she is

I'd buy the gravy from M&S too.

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ok hes changed his mind he wantc chicken pieces on christmas day ie leg breast thigh wing, can you rost them the same way as a hole chicken ????

Imho if you're doing the cooking you should get to choose the detail of what is being served up!

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