Ingredients
1 whole chicken
500g of carrots
10 sticks of celery
2 onions
3 sprigs rosemary
3 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
1 lemon
oil
salt and pepper
Method
1. In a bowl, mix the oil with the rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Once well mixed, spread this all over the chicken and set aside.
2. Cut up the carrots, onions and celery and lay it on a baking tray. Drizzle some oil, salt and pepper over the vegetables and mix them around. These vegetables will act as a barrier between the chicken and the tray.
3. Pierce some holes in the lemon with a fork or knife and stuff it into the chicken, along with the bay leaves.
4. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees celsius for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 70 degrees celsius.
TIPS: Remove the chicken from the tray and rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before carving. Do not discard the juices at the bottom of the tray. Place the tray over a low flame, add in some chicken or vegetable stock, simmer, and whisk in some plain flour using a hand whisk to get a thick and flavourful brown sauce which you can drizzle over your chicken or pour it over some mashed potatoes.
What’s On My Mind…
I think this recipe was adapted from one of Jamie Oliver’s recipes and it is my favourite recipe to use when I cook for guests. The grilled vegetables you get at the bottom of the tray gives you an extra dish, the chicken is very tender and juicy, and the juices the chicken leaves behind in the tray allows you to create an awesome brown sauce.
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