How To Cook Roast Chicken

It's time to triumphantly cook your roast chicken, with courage and the right tools for the job. 

It's easier than you think. 

 

INGREDIENTS

• A whole certified organic chicken 

• A bunch of herbs of your choice (we picked thyme, but oregano, parsley and rosemary are also delicious). 

• Butter! About 150g, melted 

• Salt & pepper

• White Wine

 

TOOLS

• Roasting pan big enough to fit the chicken in. So the chicken can brown on all sides, try not to use a pan with sides higher than the chicken. 

• Foil, enough to cover the pan (like a lid) 

• Meat thermometer - this is the most important thing!

• Pastry brush

 

METHOD 

• Preheat oven to 160°C

• Place the bunch of herbs inside the chicken cavity. Push herbs all the way in, anything that sticks out might burn

• Brush the chicken all over with half of the melted butter and then season with salt and pepper.

• Pour 1 cup of wine into the base of the dish (not over the chicken as it will wash some of the butter off) 

• Wrap foil over the top of the baking dish to make a lid. Use two pieces of foil if required so minimal air can escape while cooking (this will act as a steamer to cook the chicken through)

• Place in the oven for 1 hour

• Take the chicken out of the oven and place on the bench. Lift the foil lid off (careful, it's hot). Grab your meat thermometer and insert it into the chicken's thigh. This is where the bone is and take the longest to cook. Once the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 70°C, it's cooked. 

• Brush the chicken with the remaining melted butter, a little more salt and pepper 

• Turn the temperature of the oven up to 220°C

• Return the chicken to the oven and cook uncovered for another 20-30 minutes or until the skin has browned. 

• Remove from the chicken from the oven and allow 10 minutes to rest on the bench. This will allow the juices in the meat to settle. 

• Carve and serve 

 

*If you remove the chicken from the oven and the internal temperature hasn't reached 70°C, return to the oven and cook in 5-10 minute increments, stopping to check the rising temperature. 

 

Thank you to our friends at Milking Yard Farm who shared their best tips with us to cook a roast chicken. See the full range of their recipes on their website