Who doesn’t love a roast chicken? Chicken roasted with Grandpa’s gravy is a classic in my house and my kids are very nostalic about it since Grandpa died in 2013. A roasted chicken is the ultimate in comfort food and is always worth cooking for one person or for a family dinner. Cold roast chicken is one of the few leftovers I will eat. Have the left over roast chicken in a sandwich or add it to a tomato sauce to go in a pasta bake.
Now I am not a completely broke student/mummy of young children, I purchase free range chickens from Aldi. (Lidl sell them too but I prefer the Aldi chicken. For balance, I think Lidl do better steak). Free range chickens feel extravagant but they really are worth it. I’ve seen birds priced at a tenner and above – that is too pricey for me. Even a basic chicken will taste great with a bit of love, care and attention so it’s always worth spending an extra couple of minutes at the start to maximise the end result.
Ingredients for the roast chicken:
- 1 whole chicken – any size just follow the instructions for cooking time
- 1 lemon
- A tablespoon of melted butter or olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- If you fancy it, some herbs either thyme or rosemary
- 2 onions roughly chopped to lie flat under the chicken. Keep the skins on if you like.
Ingredients for Grandpa’s Gravy
- The roasted onions from under the cooked chicken
- Plain flour – 1 heaped tablespoon
- 500ml or so of stock – use fresh or a stock cube/stockpot
- 3 tablespoons of red wine or to taste
- Worcestershire sauce – a few splashes or more to taste
- The run off juice from when you have carved the chicken
Method
Unwrap the chicken and if it has any string on it, cut the string, remove and untuck the legs so they are free. This makes the bird cook more evenly. Get a roasting tin and place the chopped onions on the bottom. Place a roasting rack over the onions (if using – you can place the chicken directly onto the onions if you like) and pop the chicken on top. Cut the lemon in hald and place in the cavity of the chicken with the herbs if using. Baste the skin with the melted butter or olive oil, add salt and pepper and put in the preheated oven (180c) for the time calculated. Its normally 25 minutes per 500g plus 20 minutes extra. Do not undercook the chicken.
When the chicken is cooked, bring out of the oven and place in a dish, cover with foil and leave in a warm place to rest. Add the roasted onion to a saucepan and place on a low heat. Add the flour and stir well to combine. Add half the stock, all the wine, worcestershire sauce and stir thoroughly. Add the remaining stock to the consistency you like. I like a lot of gravy and it quite thick so I often double the amount of flour and everything else and cook it for ages.
Carve the chicken and add any juice that has come out of the bird to the gravy. Heat through, strain and pour into a serving jug. Grandpa would be proud!