Arguably the most economical roast dinner, a whole chicken is an incredibly versatile and budget friendly choice. But not only that, it's also absolutely delicious.
This is the first of our Roast Club blogs where we're going to talk you through how to get the perfect result from your roast, some top tips as well as ideas for using up leftovers and making that roast stretch even further.
It goes without saying that buying free range, high welfare chicken is not only better for the animal but it also produces a higher quality product with more flavour.
What size to choose
We recommend choosing a bigger bird than you think you'll need because for a few more quid you can get yourself a whole other meal or two.
For a 2-3 people, go for a 1.4kg chicken.
For a family of 4 with young children, go for a 1.6kg chicken.
For a family of 4 with teenagers, go for a 1.8kg - 2kg chicken
For bigger families, a 2.2kg - 2.4kg chicken will be grand.
How to cook it
The right heat and timings are key when roasting any meat.
For a crispy skin, crank the oven up to 240°C and then as soon as you put your chicken in, turn it down to 200°C or 180°C for fan ovens.
The timing will depend on how big your chicken is. As a general rule, roast it for 45 minutes per kg, plus 20 minutes extra.
So, here's a chicken maths example:
If you had a 1.6kg chicken you'd roast it for 1.6 x 45 = 72 minutes + 20 minutes = 92 minutes, or 1h 32.
Jamie Oliver's "recipe" for cooking roast chicken is a classic and easy place to start but you can use whatever flavours you like best. Chicken is great in that it can stand up to really bold flavours so don't be afraid to experiment.
Ideas for leftovers
Make sure you've stripped all the meat from the chicken carcass. It's messy but it's best to use your fingers for this job. Don't forget about underneath the chicken, there's loads of meat under there!
Any big bits of leftover chicken are perfect for things like tray bakes, curries, or pies.
Leftover Chicken, Leek and Stuffing Pie
With the little scrappy bits of chicken (of which you might have quite a lot!), these are really versatile and can be used in meals where meat isn't the "star of the show" but adds a lot of flavour. Think wraps, soups, pasta, risotto...
Chicken and Black Bean Burritos
How to freeze leftover roast chicken:
It's best to shred the meat before freezing it. Portion it up into freezer bags - 1 to 2 cups is a good leftovers portion - squeeze all the air out and pop it in the freezer (don’t forget to label it!).
It can stay there for up to three months. When you want to use it, defrost the chicken in the fridge for 24 hours.