Sometimes, it’s hard to get a better roast chicken than crisp skin and succulent meat, all with the trimmings of a traditional roast dinner, served with an enticing salad as a side dish or even in a completely different way like a soup with noodles. When done right, it’s a fantastic and versatile food item that every cook must have.
Everybody has their way of roasting chicken; however, who better to give an ideal roast recipe chicken than Michelin’s top chef?
Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Executive Chef at Michelin-starred Northcote restaurant in Lancashire, England, and The Stafford London, and a regular on British TV in shows like Great British Menu. She is also the chef’s mentor for UK Chef Marcus Clayton at the upcoming S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2022-23 Grand Finale.
Here she gives her advice for roasting the chicken as well as a recipe for roasting chicken that has the best stuffing.
Tips on roasting chickens by Michelin-starred Chef Lisa Goodwin Allen
A high-quality chicken is essential. I suggest you visit the butcher shop in your area and select either a free-range or a corn-fed chicken.
Remove the chicken from your refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking it so it can rise to room temperature.
The recipe for stuffing below can serve as a guideline, and you can add your favorite flavors to the stuffing, including piri-piri and garlic, herbs, etc.
I prefer this method for cooking chicken because it allows the bird to be more evenly cooked and helps keep the meat juicy and moist.
There’s so much flavor in a chicken roast cooked in this manner, and it is best to stay with the classics serving the meat with the classic roasting garnish that cannot beat it. I suggest roast potatoes with cauliflower cheese and other seasonal vegetables. To make the roasties, save the fat of the chicken and drizzle it on the potato. In the summer, serve it plain with a beautiful Salad or Slaw.
It’s always worth picking a chicken slightly more significant than you’ll need. Then, with leftovers, make the ultimate chicken sandwich! Or a lovely Caesar salad.
Getting the most value from the entire bird without losing everything is a great idea. To make an excellent stock, you need to cover the carcass of your chicken with water and add a cube of chicken stock (if you already have one) and some aromatics or soft herbs and simmer for 1-1.5 hours. Take off the heat, and the store is cooked. Simple.
I’d recommend using the stock to make excellent chicken Ramen. Make the stock into soup, and add chili, soy, and lemongrass. You can add raw vegetables such as spring onion, carrots, some leftover chicken, and noodles, and you’re ready to serve.
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Lisa Goodwin Allen’s recipe for roast chicken with the most delicious stuffing
Ingredients
One whole chicken (1.4kg/3lbs)
100g/3.5oz diced onion
140g/5oz sausage meat
100g/3.5oz finely diced Smoked bacon
100g/3.5oz Brioche breadcrumbs
100g/3.5oz butter (melted)
One clove of garlic (chopped)
Two teaspoons of chopped thyme
Two teaspoons of salt
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 120degC/248degF.
2. Take the desired bone from your chicken, making a tiny cut opposite. Scrape lightly to expose it, then twist and take it off.
3. Remove it from both the breast and legs using your fingers under the skin using your thumb.
4. Place the diced onions in an oven-proof saucepan. Add olive oil and cook over medium heat for approximately 1-2 minutes, until soft. Set aside and remove.
5. add the sausage, finely diced bacon, brioche breadcrumbs and melted butter, chopped garlic, and thyme in a large bowl. Add the onions and two pinches of salt. Give it an excellent mix.
6. Divide the mixture in half. Place the first half in your chicken’s cavity. The second half is to be placed in a piping bag or pipe the stuffing beneath the skin with your hands. Use your hands to cover the breast and legs, not pulling the skin.
7. Put it on a baking tray and bake in the oven for twenty minutes and an hour. After cooking, remove the chicken from the oven. The range should be set to 200degC/392degF, and allow the chicken to rest for about 15 minutes.
8. Put back in the oven for another 15 minutes until golden.
9. Serve, remove, and carve.