Garlic, Lemon and Thyme Roast Chicken

This is quite possibly our favourite roast chicken dish ever. The combination of fragrant thyme, roast garlic and a lemony punch is an absolute marriage made in heaven. A layer of garlic and thyme permeates through the breast during cooking, while the garlic and lemon render down to create the most intensely flavoursome gravy there is.

Serves 4
Preparation time – 20 minutes
Cooking time – 2 hours

Used in this recipe

Free Range Chicken, Whole, With Giblets

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Ingredients

1 x Dorset Meat Company Free Range whole Chicken (Giblets removed)
2 large white onions
2 Lemons
A good handful of thyme
2 bay leaves
6 garlic cloves
100g butter
200ml good chicken stock
100ml white wine
Sea salt and black pepper

Method

Bring the chicken out of the fridge and rest to room temperature. Remove the giblets (You can use these to make your own stock if you wish).
Finely zest one lemon, finely grate one garlic clove, and mix with the butter. Pick the thyme leaves, and add two teaspoons worth to the butter. (Tip – if you freeze the thyme in a bag beforehand, all of the leaves fall off the stems easily!)
Carefully untruss the bird, and at the point where the leg was tucked in under the breast skin, gently slide a finger in to separate the skin from the breast (Be really careful not to tear the skin). Now add one tablespoon of the flavoured butter underneath each breast skin, and carefully massage down under the skin until the breast is well covered. Tuck the legs back in, and twist the truss string back over the legs.
Spread the remaining flavoured butter over the chicken skin.
Choose a suitable roasting dish, ideally a cast iron one so that you can finish the gravy afterwards. Create a bed for the chicken in your roasting dish, by peeling then ‘top and tailing’ the onions, and then slicing each into two equal sized discs. Rest the chicken on top of this (the onions will cook slowly and absorb the flavours, becoming the base for the gravy). Tuck the bay leaves underneath, scatter round the remaining unpeeled garlic cloves, and then chop the two lemons in half and stuff in to the cavity of the chicken.
Roast the chicken for 1 hour 50 minutes at 180°C fan, checking regularly to ensure the dish doesn’t dry fully, if it does, add a splash of water.
Once cooked, check the juices run clear from the joint between the leg and the breast with a skewer, or use a meat thermometer. Set the chicken aside to rest for 10-15 minutes, covered with tinfoil.
Meanwhile, finish the gravy. If you haven’t used a cast iron dish, then transfer the cooking liquid to a large frying pan or skillet on the hob. Deglaze the roasting dish with the wine, and reduce. Remove both lemons from the chicken, add to the gravy, squashing them to release the juice. Add the stock, and reduce until you have a lovely gravy consistency. Squash the garlic cloves to release the lovely soft garlicky goodness, then discard the skins, as well as the bay leaves and lemons. Separate the onions and serve on the side, to leave a thick smooth gravy.
Serve with roast potatoes and vegetables of your choice.