Roast Chicken with Citrus Butter
This is a delicious recipe - the chicken is full of flavour from with fresh lemons, oranges and herbs and the butter keeps it wonderfully juicy.  It makes the perfect Sunday roast or mid-week meal served with seasonal vegetables and trimmings.
Servings: 4 yield(s)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 90 mins
Total Time: 100 mins
Ingredients
  • 1.5-2 kg whole chicken
  • 100 g butter
  • 1 lemon (zest & halved)
  • 1 orange (zest & halved)
  • 3 thyme sprigs (leaves only, finely chopped)
  • 1 rosemary sprig (leaves only, finely chopped)
  • sea salt & pepper (freshly ground)
  • 2 large onions (peeled & halved)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • For the gravy
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 200 ml white wine
  • 500 ml chicken stock
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/350°F/Gas mark 5.
  2. Make sure the chicken is dry all over by patting with kitchen paper. In a small bowl mix together the butter, lemon and orange zest, thyme, rosemary and season well. Now gently push your fingers under the chicken’s skin around the neck, breasts and tops of the drumsticks; easing the skin away from the flesh.
  3. Now spread half of the butter under the skin with your fingers and push it as far as you can. Place half of the lemon and orange, 2 onion halves and bay leaves into the chicken cavity. Now rub the turkey all over with the remaining butterm a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
  4. Arrange the remaining onions in the bottom of a large roasting tin and place the chicken on top. Place in the oven for 1 hour 20-30 minutes. Test the chicken is cooked by piercing the fattest part of the thigh with a skewer, the juices should run clear. If pink cook for a further 10 minutes and check again, continue until the juices run clear.
  5. Rest the chicken lightly covered with foil at least 30 minutes to one hour before serving. Reserve the cooking juices and onions in the tin for the gravy.
  6. For the gravy, pour away the excess fat from the roasting tin but leave the onions. Place the tin over a medium heat and sprinkle over the flour. Mix through with a wooden spoon and cook for 2 minutes and press down on the onions to extract the flavour. Now gradually add the wine and stock and bring to the boil scraping any bits from the bottom of the tin. Bring the gravy to a simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes. Now sieve and season to taste before serving in a warmed gravy jug alongside the chicken and seasonal vegetables and roast dinner trimmings, enjoy!