Sunday Roast Chicken
Gathering the Family
In the old photo albums, every Sunday looks the same — the good tablecloth, the china plates, steam rising from the golden bird in the centre. Mum learned this from her mother, who learned it from hers, a recipe that travelled through time not in measurements but in gestures, in the way you rub butter under the skin, in knowing when the thigh jiggles just right. The seventies were big on Sunday roasts, on the ritual of gathering, on taking time. This isn't fast food. This is the kind of meal that brings everyone home, that fills the house with warmth and the promise that no matter what changes, some things stay beautifully, deliciously the same.
Ingredients
- 1.8kg whole chicken
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- 60g butter, softened
- 800g potatoes, cut into chunks
- 4 carrots, peeled and halved
- 2 onions, quartered
- Olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towel.
- Carefully loosen the skin over the breast and rub half the butter underneath. Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the bird.
- Season generously with salt and pepper, inside and out. Stuff the cavity with lemon halves, garlic, and thyme.
- Toss potatoes, carrots, and onions with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in a large roasting pan.
- Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Roast for 1.5-2 hours, until the skin is golden and the internal temperature reaches 75°C.
- If vegetables need more colour, remove chicken and keep warm while vegetables finish roasting.
- Rest the chicken for 15 minutes before carving.
- Serve with the roasted vegetables and pan juices spooned over the top.
Nutrition Information (per serve)
450
Calories
38g
Protein
25g
Carbs
24g
Fat