Slow roast chicken cooked with lemons and thyme butter

This is the most deliciously scrumptious way to cook a roast chicken. Really. It may sound a lot of effort for just roast chicken but it does make something quite average into a real treat. You will need to overcome a fear of touching raw meat (if you have one) and be prepared to get your hands mucky. The butter is mashed up with the thyme and salt and pepper and slipped under the skin of the chicken breasts, and some is put inside along with two lemon halves. Any remaining butter can be smeared on the skin all over the chicken to give it a lovely crispy skin. The chicken will slow cook for about 1 and half hours to 2, depending on the size. The high temperature at the start ensures the skin is crispy at the end. Cooking it in a little wine and some chicken stock means the meat stays moist and you can baste it occassionally throughout the cooking time. I usually make some dauphinoise potatoes (see blog for a how-to), roasted veg and something like brocolli. You can make a sumptuous lemony gravy with the juices at the end whilst the chicken is resting.

You will need:
1 chicken
50g softened butter
as many thyme leaves as you like!
salt
pepper
1 glass of white wine
1 pint chicken stock (I use Knorr stock pots)
1 lemon, cut in half
2 teaspoons of cornflour for the gravy

Pre-heat your oven to 220 degrees C. Place your chicken into a large roasting tin. Make 2 small inscisions at the base of the breasts. Mash the butter in a boal with some salt and pepper and the thyme leaves. It doesn't matter if some stalks get thrown in too. Take some small amounts of the butter and gently place under the skin of the chicken breasts. Smooth it along to the end and carry on until there is a good layer of the thyme butter under the skin. Put a small amount in the cavity of the chicken along with the two halves of the lemon. Rub any remaining butter over the skin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat up any stock you have or, make up your stock with a cube or jelly. You'll need about a pint, maybe a bit more or less. Pour this into the roasting tin along with a glass of wine.
Put into the hot oven for 15 minutes at this temperature then turn right down to 160 for a further 1 hour and a half. This is for a fan assisted oven so increase temperatures by 20 degrees if you have a non fan assisted oven.
Ever half hour or so spoon the juices over the chicken and into the cavity. When done the chicken can be placed onto a board for carving in about 10 minutes. The juices from the chicken MUST run clear. Put it bake in if you think it needs more time. The meat should be falling off the bone and the skin will be crispy.

To make the gravy juice, first pour off any excess fat by gently tipping the pan and pouring the top layer of fat off into a bowl. You can through this away when it is cool or use a little to dress the greens. Squeeze the lemon halves into the roasting dish (careful, they will be very hot!). Strain into a pan and set over the hob to heat to boiling. Add 2 teaspoons of cornflour or plain flour and quickly stir in until the juice thickens up. If it goes a bit lumpy, strain again. Pour into a jug, it is now ready!

Carve your chicken and add whatever accompaying veg you like and trickle over your lemon gravy. Dig in!