Lemon & Garlic Roast Chicken
A golden whole roast chicken with crisp skin, lemony juices and a head of soft, sweet garlic to squeeze over.
By Mise En Place Team
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 75 minutes
Total time: 90 minutes
Servings: 4
Tags: chicken, roast, dinner, Sunday lunch
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg whole chicken
- 2 piece lemons
- 1 piece head of garlic, halved crosswise
- 50 g butter, softened
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- 1. Heat the oven to 200 °C. Pat the chicken very dry inside and out.
- 2. Rub the softened butter all over the skin, then drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
- 3. Halve one lemon and tuck it into the cavity with the garlic halves and half the herbs.
- 4. Slice the second lemon and scatter it with the remaining herbs in a roasting tin; sit the chicken on top.
- 5. Roast 70–80 minutes, basting once, until the juices run clear and the skin is deep golden (75 °C in the thickest part of the thigh).
- 6. Rest the chicken loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving. Squeeze the soft roasted garlic over the meat to serve.