Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken

This lemon and garlic roast chicken recipe is the ideal Sunday roast as we enter into the Autumn season. Fresh and fragrant, the meat is super moist. The perfect way to cook Beech Ridge Farm’s free range chickens at this time of year we think.

Prep time: 20 min

Cooking time approx 1hr

• Beech Ridge Farm Free Range Chicken (5/6lb)
• Sea Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 1 lemon
• 1 garlic blub
• Glug of olive oil
• 200ml white wine (or chicken stock)

Preheat the oven to 220C

Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with a glug of oil, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and half the thyme leaves.

Prick the lemon all over with a sharp knife and stuff into the chicken cavity along with the rest of the thyme.

Break the garlic bulb, and with the palm of your hand crush each clove (you can leave the skin on the individual cloves… think Jamie Oliver style!) put into the tray.

Add the white wine (or chicken stock if you are using) to the pan.

Reduce the oven temperature to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6, then add the chicken and roast for about 1 hr 15 mins or until the chicken is cooked through minutes (until the juices run clear- to test pierce the thigh with a skewer).

Once the chicken is cooked, remove the bird and cover with foil on one side while you make the gravy using the juice in the pan (skim off as much of the fat as you can first and remove the garlic and thyme).

To make the gravy:

Cook the juices over medium-high heat for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of plain flour cook and stir constantly for about 1 minute. Stir in 225ml of water and simmer. Stir and scrap up all the lovely brown bits until the gravy thickens (about 3 to 4 minutes). Whisk in a few knobs of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper then strain and serve.

Carve the chicken and serve with your choice of fresh vegetables and roast potatoes. Delicious!