Rosemary & Mustard Roast Chicken

Serves 4–6 depending on the size of the chicken

In my family, Friday night = roast chicken. Even the mere smell of it makes my body relax, as if it’s whispering “…and breathe”, ushering me to let go of the stresses of the week. Growing up in a Jewish household, Friday nights were (and still are) all about family reconnecting after a busy week and bonding over (lots of!) food. It is my absolute favourite night of the week and whilst I am not religious myself, I love going round the table listening to what each person is thankful for that week. My 5 year old still doesn’t quite get the broader concept and is usually grateful for what he can actually see right in front of him, like “this glass of water” or “this plate”…whereas my 8 year old knows how to get my happy tears a-flowing!

Now back to the delicious matter at hand! Finding the perfect roast chicken recipe can be tricky — you want it to be crispy, succulent and full of flavour. But once you discover it, then it’ll be yours forever and a wonderful go-to meal for all of the family to enjoy. It might sound like an odd addition, but for all of you Marmite haters out there, I promise you, it doesn’t actually taste of Marmite in the slightest, it just adds a wonderful umami flavour.

The marinade takes 1 minute to put together and is oh so tasty. We always have leftovers, so keep your eyes peeled for a chicken risotto and/or a Thai chicken curry recipe later on in the week!

INGREDIENTS

· Organic Free Range Chicken
· 2 Onions
· 2 Garlic Cloves
· 4 Rosemary Sprigs
· Himalayan Salt
· Fresh Ground Pepper

For the marinade:

· 2 tbsp Olive Oil (I just discovered Cotswold Gold Rosemary Oil and it was fabulous!)
· 1 tsp Garlic Granules
· 1 tsp Marmite
· 2 tsp Wholegrain or Balsamic Mustard
· 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
· 1 tsp Turmeric
· Juice of half a lemon

METHOD

· Preheat your fan oven on high at 220 degrees.
· Remove any leftover pin feathers if there are any.
· Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade and mix well.
· Peel the onions and quarter them.
· In a roasting tin, stuff the chicken with one onion, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, half a lemon (I use the one I just squeezed for the marinade) and some rosemary sprigs.
· Brush the chicken with ¾ of the marinade.
· Add cold water to the bottom of the roasting dish so that it is approximately 1cm deep.
· Roast uncovered on high for 30 minutes so that the skin can get nice and crispy.
· Take it out of the oven, which should now be turned down to 180 degrees.
· Prick the chicken with a fork, brush with the remaining marinade and scatter with some sliced red onion and some rosemary.
· Cover with parchment paper and foil, and pop it back in the oven for approximately another hour (depending on it’s size).
· The whole cooking time for a roast chicken should take approximately an hour and a half, depending on the size of your chicken, so make sure the juices run clear (when you cut between the leg and the thigh) and that it is fully cooked all the way through.

TOP TIP — Cooking time = 45 minutes per kg, plus 20 minutes.

For roasting any meat, use this handy online Roast Timer.https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/tools/roast-timer