ROAST CHICKEN - crispy roast chicken + chips, a winter Caesar and a very good tarragon caper aioli.

A very warm, homely welcome to my brand new Newsletter The Good Home Cook. And a huge thank-you to those of you who have signed up in its very first week. This is a new space for me and i’m really excited to be able to share all my own recipes on one platform.

I thought i’d start strong on a dish that has been quoted as my favourite dinner of all time - A roast chicken. Its Sunday morning, the chickens in the oven, the windows are steaming as I boil some potatoes and the sultry tones of Cerys Mathews, gracing her Sunday spot on BBC Radio 6 is my cook along of choice. There is no better thing to cook on a slow Sunday in my opinion. Ive been roasting (and carving!) the chicken in my house I would say since around the age of 7 so i’d average i’ve roasted around 500 chickens at home in my time and that doesn’t count the ones i’ve roasted in restaurant kitchens and on shoots!

Everyone needs a good roast chicken in their repertoire. A good roast chicken has a golden, crisp skin and juicy, flavoursome meat. Here i’ll talk you through buying, prepping a cooking the bird and how to pack it with flavour and retain its juiciness in the most simple method possible. Home cooking doesn’t have to be complicated, once you get in the swing, retain a few key methods, keep a few things in mind and practice you can become an even better home cook. My recipes are never over complicated or stressful, just a few good ingredients turned into something completely delicious.

This recipe is very special to me - I hope you enjoy!

Esther x

THE HOW-TO GUIDE -

• Buying - ideally you want to go for an organic, free range bird. I know £10-13 seems pricey in your average supermarket and we’re in a cost of living crisis but buying a whole bird is genuinely the most cost efficient way to purchase poultry and you will end up eating every scrap of meat off the carcass. I tend to go for a medium size of about 1.6-1.7kg to feed 4 and 2kg to serve 6. The meat should be smooth and relatively dry rather than slimy.

• Prepping - salting your the skin of you bird the night before really helps to extract the moisture and crisp up the skin. Salt is really the most important ingredient to get this bird tasty and the correct texture. If you don’t have time to salt the night before you can just rub the salt on the skin a couple of hours prior to roasting. I only season with the bird with black pepper post roasting as pepper burns at high temperatures and is best added as a seasoning post-cooking.

• To tie the legs or not to tie the legs? I would always tie my legs because this stops too much heat getting into the cavity and drying the breast meat out. It also prevents the legs and wings from cooking quicker than the rest of the bird.

• Stuffing - You can stuff the cavity with either a halved lemon or white onion. This will steam whilst cooking and help to keep the meat moist. I go for a simple salt, butter and garlic mix under the skin and some extra whole woody herbs in the cavity for good measure.

• Roasting - Firstly you want to get your oven to the absolute highest heat it will go for around 30 mins before you roast the bird. This really helps get the skin off to a goos start. Then the oven is turned down to a standard 180C for most of the cooking time. You want to roast your chicken in a lipped baking sheet to gather the juices but not a deep roasting tin as this doesn’t allow the heat to circulate the bird properly.

• Resting - Now this is a step you do NOT want to miss out. Resting meat helps the bird to retain its natural juices so that they dont flood the board when you carve. the juices distribute bake in the bird as its resting - I give it around 30 mins covered in foil.

• Carving - The most efficient way to carve a chicken is to cut each whole breast off right against the bone and to carve the breast individually (see pic below). Then cut the leg and wing off as one and halve it through the joint. Any leftover meat on the carcass you can cut off with a sharp knife or tear off with your hands. Remember to flip the chicken over to remove the chicken oysters. Two round, tender some chicken pieces that sit on the backbone of the chicken at the rear and shouldn’t be wasted - even if you just eat them yourself - chef perks!

Happy chicken cooking!

Crispy Roast Chicken

PREP 30 MINS + OVERNIGHT RESTING COOK - 1 HOUR 20 MINS SERVES 4 A LITTLE EFFORT

1 whole free-range chicken - 1.7kg

1 lemon, halved or 1 small onion, peeled and halved

2 tbsp flaky sea salt (Maldon is best)

60g unsalted butter, softneed

2 fat garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 bunch thyme, 1/2 bunch rosemary, 2 bay leaves -tied

A drizzle of olive oil

The night before you want to roast the chicken or a couple of hours if you’re strapped for time liberally rub the skin of the bird with salt and loosely cover. Chill in the fridge.

Pat the bird dry with kitchen towel and remove excess salt. Starting from the back of your chicken loosen the skin away from the meat by pushing your fingers between the flesh and skin to release it. Mash the softened butter with a little flaky sea salt and the crushed garlic and push this under the skin. Stuff the cavity with the lemon or onion halves and the tied herbs. Tie the legs together with string. Line a lipped roasting tin (not too deep) with parchment and sit the bird on top, drizzle with a little olive oil.

Roast in the high heated oven for 20 mins. Turn the heat down to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6 and roast for a further 55 mins- 1 hour. Cut into the leg, the juices should run clear but if its an organic chicken its normal for there to still be some red at the bone. Remove the chicken from the tray and sit on a warmed platter, cover and leave to rest for 30 mins.

Transfer to a board and carve then return the meat to the resting plate, spooning over all the excess, meaty juices left in the roasting tray as well as a good grind of black pepper.

Paid subscribers see below for the aioli and chips recipe and roast chicken and Cavolo Nero Caesar.