This recipe is written for children to follow, with a bit of help from an adult, but the tips are useful for everyone.
Ingredients
- 1.4kg corn-fed chicken
- 1 small onion
- 1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. If you want to stuff the chicken, do so now.
- 2. Put the chicken in a roasting tin. Peel the onion, halve and push inside the chicken (in the hole between the legs), with the lemon and 4 sprigs of the thyme. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken and sprinkle on some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the remaining thyme sprigs on top.
- 3. Put the chicken into the hot oven and roast for about 1 hour 20 minutes. (If your chicken is a different weight, you can work out the timings: allow 20 minutes per 500g, plus an extra 20 minutes. If you are stuffing the chicken, weigh and calculate the cooking time after you’ve stuffed it.) Baste the chicken after 40 minutes to keep the meat moist: ask an adult to drizzle the chicken with the juices in the roasting pan. When cooked, ask an adult to lift the chicken onto a serving dish. Check that it is cooked through.
- 4. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then ask an adult to carve it.
Chef's tip
Wash your hands, tie back long hair and put on an apron. Check the shelves in the oven – one should be low down so there’s room in the middle of the oven to fit the chicken, and the other near the top to roast the potatoes. Be careful not to wipe hands that have been touching the raw chicken over any surfaces. If you do, clean the surfaces straightaway. As soon as you are finished, wash your hands thoroughly with hot water and antibacterial soap.