Chef Iain shares his Christmas Roast Chicken recipe below.
Ingredients
For this recipe you will need:
Carrots
Celery
An Onion
A Whole Chicken
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Sage
3 Strips Streaky Bacon
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6
Roughly chop your carrot, celery and onion and place in the bottom of your pan to make a vegetable trivet. (no need to peel your carrot or onion, the skin will add extra flavour and help caramelize your gravy)
Mix your butter and sage.
Using a different chopping board, pull the skin away from the chicken breast to create a pocket, then fill with your herb butter. Place the chicken on the trivet then season with salt and pepper. Cover the back of your chicken with streaky bacon.
Put your chicken in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
Add a cup of water to the bottom of the pan then return the chicken to the oven for a further 60-70 minutes at 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4. (Can use wine or cider instead of water for more flavour)
Check your chicken is fully cooked by putting a knife into the thigh meat and checking that the juices run out clear or if using a meat thermometer until the centre of the meat is 75°C.
Remove your chicken from the tray and add the remaining liquid and vegetables to a pot, add a little more water to cover the vegetables then put on to boil.
Remove the crispy bacon and set aside.
When carving your chicken start with the legs, cut the skin between the legs and body. Pull the legs and cut through the joint. To separate the thigh from the drumstick cut through the joint in the middle.
Cut the wings off in a similar style to the legs.
To remove the breast, cut along the side of the breastbone and follow the line of the wishbone, lifting the breast away as you cut. The chicken breast can be portioned or sliced and served alongside the other pieces you have portioned.
Strain the veg from your gravy, then add to a second pot. Place the chicken carcass on top and cover with water then put the pot on to boil.
To your gravy add a few spoons of gravy granules, for a little extra flavour and thicken the gravy. (If you have used wine or cider, then make a corn flour slurry by mixing a few teaspoons of cornflour with a few tablespoons of water in a small bowl before adding to your gravy.)
Now your chicken, bacon and gravy are ready to serve alongside all your favourite trimmings.
