Ingredients
Method
- Prepare the chicken. Take the chicken out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking to bring it closer to room temperature - this helps it cook more evenly. Pat the skin dry with kitchen paper, then coat generously with olive oil. Season well with salt, pepper and mixed herbs all over the skin. If you have fresh herbs or half a lemon to hand, stuff them into the cavity for extra flavour - but don't let not having them stop you.
- Roast. Place in a roasting tin and cook at 200°C. A medium chicken will take around 1 hour 20 minutes, a larger bird up to 1 hour 40 minutes. Baste with the juices from the tin halfway through if you remember - it makes the skin even more golden.
- Check it's done. Pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a sharp knife and press gently - the juices should run completely clear with no pink. The drumsticks should also wobble and come away from the bird easily. If you have a meat thermometer, you're looking for 75°C at the thickest point.
- Rest - but read this first. If you want crispy skin, carve or pull the meat you need straight away and eat it immediately. If you're meal prepping or don't mind softer skin, cover loosely with foil and a couple of tea towels and rest for at least 20–30 minutes before shredding. Resting makes the meat significantly more tender and easier to pull apart.
- Shred and store. Pull all the meat from the carcass and store in an airtight container in the fridge - it'll keep well for 3–4 days and is endlessly useful across the week.
- Don't throw the carcass away. Pop it in a pot with water, a roughly chopped onion, a carrot, celery and some peppercorns and simmer for a couple of hours for a beautiful homemade chicken stock. The roasting juices from the tin are brilliant added in too.
Notes
The resting step is genuinely important - it's the difference between meat that's juicy and tender and meat that's dry. Don't skip it.
Crispy skin or tender shredded meat - you don't always get both, so just decide upfront which you're going for and cook accordingly.
This is one of the most economical things you can make. One bird, roasted on a Sunday, can become a pasta on Monday, sandwiches on Tuesday and a soup or risotto on Wednesday using the stock. It's proper nose-to-tail cooking without any of the fuss.