Serves 4-6, takes 3 - 4 hours.
Ingredients:
• 1 Whole Raw Chicken
• 3 Carrots
• 2 Onions
• 1 Bulb of Garlic
• Bunch of Thyme
• Bunch of Rosemary
• 1 Lemon (the zest will be used for the compound butter)
• Olive Oil
• 4 Sticks of Celery
• 2 Vegetable or Chicken Stock Cubes dissolved in 320g of water.
(For the compound butter)
• Zest of the lemon
• ½ Cup of Butter
• 2tbs of Honey
• Salt (to taste)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• Black Pepper
• 1tsp Smoked Paprika
• 2tsp Garlic Granules
• 2tsp Onion Granules
• 1tsp Ground Coriander
• ¼ Bunch of Parsley
• 1tsp Dried parsley
• 2tsp Dried Oregano
• 1tsp Turmeric
(For the dry seasoning)
• 1tsp Salt
• 1tsp Pepper
• 2tsp Onion Granules
• 2tsp Garlic
• 2tsp Dried Oregano
• 2tsp Dried Parsley
• 1tsp Smoked Paprika
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 180*c.
Wash and zest your lemon into a small bowl.
Add all your compound butter ingredients into the bowl.
Mix until fully combined and set to one side at room temperature.
In a separate small bowl combine all the dry seasoning rub ingredients.
Wash the carrots, celery, thyme, and rosemary.
Peel the carrots and cut into chunks.
Cut the ends off the celery and cut into chunks (the same size as the carrots) along with the lemon.
Peel and quarter your onions and peel your garlic cloves.
In a roasting tray add your vegetables/lemon as well as your chicken/vegetable stock.
Prepare your chicken by placing it back side facing upwards on your chopping board.
Using meat scissors cut along either side of the backbone so you can remove it completely.
Turn the chicken over so it is breast side up and press down firmly in the middle of the chicken breasts so it flattens and the chicken is flat.
Place the chicken onto the vegetables in the roasting dish and pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper. (Make sure you wash your hands in-between handling raw chicken.)
Use your hands to make little pockets under the chicken breast and leg skin, and stuff the compound butter under the skin.
Rub any excess compound butter over the chicken.
Drizzle olive oil over the chicken then sprinkle over the dry seasoning rub.
Place the chicken in the oven for 1 hour.
Every 30 minutes baste the chicken with the roasting tray juices.
After 1 hour cover the roasting tray in aluminium foil and place it back in the oven to continue slow roasting for 1 1/2 more hours (for a small chicken) or 2 hours (for a large chicken).
After that time is up check the chicken is ready by checking the temperature in the chicken breast using a meat thermometer. (the chicken should reach at least 90*c)
Remove the chicken onto a plate and cover with aluminium foil to rest for 15 minutes, keep the vegetables and stock in the roasting tray.
To make the gravy add an additional 300g of water into the roasting tray and mix to incorporate it into the stock.
Sieve the stock from the roasting tray into a large bowl.
Add 1tbs of butter/oil and 1tbs of plain or self-rising flour into a saucepan.
Bring to medium heat and whisk continuously while it simmers for 2-3 minutes.
Slowly incorporate the stock from the roasting dish into the saucepan in small batches while whisking and leave to simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.
Taste for seasoning adding more salt or honey if need be.
Carve your chicken by removing the the legs using a knife to cut through the middle of the joint where the legs meet the breast .
Then carve the chicken breasts off the breastbone.
Place your chicken on a serving plate, pour your gravy into a serving jug and enjoy!