What Baba Cooked

There is something ironic in the fact that, the other day when I said to my family that I’ve really nailed the perfect roast chook, two of my children announced that they’re kind of over roast chicken…

It’s been a mission for me though. Back when I was first learning to cook, the crispy skinned, perfectly golden chook remained a seemingly unattainable goal. But in the last ten years I can confidently say I’ve absolutely nailed it. Best of all, it’s as simple as a hot oven and a well seasoned bird.

What you need:

• One fresh chicken, whichever size works for you
• Any style of dry spice rub you like. I go for a Mediterranean style ras el hanout which I inevitably tweak
• Lots of extra virgin olive oil
• Good salted butter
• Any veg you like to roast: potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, carrots, corn, asparagus, etc.
• Optional: a couple of fresh lemons and two brown onions for extra yummy pan juices

What to do:

• Preheat the oven to 220C, line your roasting dish with baking paper and good drizzle of the oil.
• Season the chicken first with salt and lots of pepper, then the dry rub. Rub the seasonings in with a good dash of olive oil. Gently open up the pocket between the skin and the beast and put slices of butter in there, bonus points of its garlic butter. The chicken can be either left whole or cut open spatchcock style. If cutting open it’ll need slightly less time to cook.
• Put the chicken breast side up into the hot oven and leave it alone for about forty-five minutes. Go have a glass of wine.
• After forty-five minutes add your seasoned veg, making sure everything is cut to a size that will cook in about an hour, otherwise add them later. Now cover the whole dish with foil and add the lemon and onion halves, and back into the oven for an hour on 200C. It’s covering the dish and slightly dropping the temperature that’s going to give you perfect spuds and the best pan juices.
• Take the dish out and give the chicken a nice baste using the pan juices, check how the veggies are looking and if they need a little longer cover and pop it back in. If it’s all done, uncover and put the dish back in for about five to seven minutes, cranking the temperature to at least 220C or even flicking the grill on even briefly. You really just want to blast the top of the chicken.
• Cut the chicken into pieces, pour pan juices on top, and serve alongside the vegetables and a green salad.