Festive Roast Chicken
Roast Chicken slathered with an orange and lemon herb butter then roasted to perfection.
To me, an Australian Christmas spread has fresh seafood, baked ham and roast chicken. We’ve played around with turkey in the past but I feel this is an adopted tradition from America. A pasture-raised organic chicken takes the cake for me any day!
As Christmas is just around the corner, I thought I’d share my take on a festive roast chicken to add to your Christmas table. I choose pasture-raised and organic chicken from The Food Farm.
I hope you enjoy x
Ingredients
1.8-2 kg whole chicken
2-3 springs of rosemary
2-3 sprigs of thyme
1 whole head of garlic
2 oranges
1 lemon
100g soft, room-temperature butter
Salt and pepper
1 onion, halved through the middle
2 carrots
1 cup of chicken broth OR water
Method
Take your chicken out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking to allow it to come up to room temperature.
Preheat your oven to 220C or 200C fan force.
Finely chop your herbs.
Cut the head of a bulb of garlic horizontally.
Use 2 of the cloves and crush to add to your herbs.
Zest a lemon and one of the oranges. Add herbs, garlic and zest to the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper.
halve your onion and chop your carrots into large chunks.
Place the chicken on top of the carrots and onion in a roasting pan.
Stuff the cavity with some leftover herbs, half an orange and a wedge or two of lemon.
Loosen the skin near the chicken breast and spoon some of the butter under the skin.
Massage the remainder of the butter all over the chicken and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
Pour 1 cup of chicken broth or water around the sides of the chicken.
Transfer to oven. Roast for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 180C. Roast for a further 1 hr 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 74C or until juices run clear when pierced at the join between the drumstick and the body.
Baste twice (30 min then at 1 hr), spooning pan juices over skin.
Allow to rest for 20 minutes uncovered.
