Eating in:A perfectly roasted chicken is still the ultimate comfort food, writes Hugo Arnold
There are times when all I want to eat is roast chicken, with golden skin that gave off a homely, life-is-all-right smell as it crisped. I try to go for an organic bird, which will have lived a proper life. It isn't cheap, but why should it be? The animal will have been fed, watered, cared for and given time to mature, all of which costs money. It's worth it, though, for the rich, gamy, almost sweet meat.
Roasting a chicken properly depends on positioning, basting and temperature. The bird should sit breast-side down in the pan for most of its oven time and be basted at least four or five times. To keep the meat as succulent as possible, set your oven to 150 degrees for the first, say, 75 minutes, then turn the chicken over, increase the temperature to 200 degrees and let the breast brown for 15 or 20 minutes. Resting, once the roasting is over, is crucial. Fifteen minutes is ideal.
Recipes serve four
CHICKEN PARCELS
2 leeks
4cm piece of ginger
2 garlic cloves
4 tsp soy
4 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 handfuls bean sprouts
4 chicken breasts
4 tsp butter
Trim the green parts from the leeks and slice thinly lengthways. Peel and grate the ginger and garlic. Combine both with the soy, sesame oil, bean sprouts and leeks and toss so everything is well mixed. Divide the mixture in four. Cut four largish sheets of greaseproof paper and fold in half, so you have enough to accommodate the chicken and the vegetables, and place half of each quarter of the mixture in the centre of each sheet of greaseproof. Season each chicken breast generously with salt and pepper and lay on top of the vegetables. Cover with the remaining vegetables and top each parcel with a teaspoon of butter. Gather two sides of the greaseproof paper and neatly crease and fold to form a package. Tuck each unsealed end underneath and lay on a baking tray. It is vital that each packet is sealed. If in doubt, use foil to form a second skin. Bake in a preheated oven, at 200 degrees/gas six, for 30 minutes. Serve with rice and chilli sauce.
ORGANIC CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON STUFFING
50g butter at room temperature
1 tbsp roughly chopped tarragon
juice of 1 lemon
50g mascarpone
1 organic chicken
Combine the butter, tarragon, lemon juice, mascarpone and a seasoning of salt and pepper. Mash together to form a paste and slide gently under the skin of the chicken, so the stuffing sits over the breast on both sides. Lightly oil a roasting tray, then place the bird on it, breast side down. Season with salt and pepper and roast in a preheated oven, at 200 degrees/gas six, for one hour, basting at least four or five times. Turn the bird upright for the last 15-20 minutes, so it browns nicely. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes in a warm place.
Serve with some blanched spinach or fine beans and the juices from the pan.