A good roast chicken makes the whole Sunday dinner, and Hairy Bikers roast chicken nails it with a foolproof timing trick. It comes from their Chicken and Egg cookbook, serves 4 to 6, and roasts in about 90 minutes at roughly 490 calories a portion.
They call it the best method after decades of practice, which comes down to one simple weight formula. You blast the bird at a high heat for 15 minutes, then roast 20 minutes per 500g, so it cooks evenly every time.
The step people skip is salting the chicken the day before, then leaving it uncovered in the fridge overnight. That dries the skin so it crisps up, while the salt seasons the meat right through, so do not rush it.
Hairy Bikers Classic Roast Chicken with Sage and Onion Stuffing
Description
The bird is stuffed with a soft sage and onion mix, buttered, and roasted from a high blast down to a steady heat. Once it rests, the roasting tin becomes a quick gravy with flour, wine, and stock poured in and simmered.
Ingredients
For the chicken
For the sage and onion stuffing
For the gravy
Instructions
- Salt the chicken: If you have time, salt the chicken all over the day before, then leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight. Otherwise, salt it and leave it at room temperature for an hour before roasting.
- Make the stuffing: Soften the onion in butter until translucent, then tip it into a bowl to cool. Mix in the lemon zest, sage, breadcrumbs, and egg, then season well with salt and pepper.
- Stuff and weigh: Heat the oven to 220°C, Fan 200°C, Gas 7, then loosely fill the cavity with the stuffing. Leave a little space at the top so air can circulate, then weigh the bird and count 20 minutes per 500g plus 15 minutes.
- Prep the tin: Put the chicken in a roasting tin, rub the butter over it, then season and squeeze the lemon on top. Pour the wine and 100ml water into the tin, or simply use 200ml water.
- Roast: Roast at the high heat for 15 minutes, then turn down to 180°C, Fan 160°C, Gas 4 for your worked-out time. It is ready when the stuffing and thickest part reach 75°C, or the juices run clear and the legs feel loose.
- Rest and make gravy: Cover the bird with foil and rest it for at least 15 to 20 minutes, then strain the pan juices and skim off the fat. Stir the flour into the tin scrapings, pour in the wine, then add the juices and stock and simmer to a thin gravy.
FAQs
How long do I roast the chicken for?
Weigh the bird after stuffing it, then give it 20 minutes per 500g, plus an extra 15 minutes at the start. A stuffed bird of about 2kg takes roughly an hour and 35 minutes, so always check the juices run clear.
What other stuffings can I use?
The book gives a sausage meat version too, made with an onion, 200g sausage meat, a grated apple, and thyme. Their British Classics book has a herby stuffing with celery, garlic, parsley, and tarragon instead.
For something different, their couscous stuffing adds pistachios, mint, and dried cherries under a pomegranate glaze.
How do I get crispy skin?
Salt the skin and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight, because dry skin crisps far better than damp skin. The 15-minute high blast at the start also helps, so rub butter over the bird and do not cover it while roasting.
What are the classic trimmings to serve?
Roast potatoes, plenty of gravy, and a green veg like peas or greens are the traditional trimmings. The book serves it alongside cauliflower cheese in the next recipe, which makes the natural rich side for a Sunday spread.
What can I do with leftover roast chicken?
Leftover roast chicken is brilliant the next day, so shred it into soups, pies, or stews rather than letting it dry out. Their chicken stew and dumplings and coronation chicken both use cooked chicken, so they use up the bird perfectly.
