Roast chicken is probably my favourite food and I have a few different recipes that I like to make. This is my favourite way to roast a chicken when I want a more traditional Sunday roast vibe with roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and the works. I find that roasting it in a lidded casserole keeps the chicken from drying out and yields an extra juicy bird. It’s pretty easy and so delicious – the perfect thing to make for a special occasion or on a weekend afternoon.
A large lidded cast iron casserole like the ones from Le Creuset is the best thing to use for this because they can take the heat in the oven and also be used stovetop on the burner. If you don’t have one and don’t plan to invest in something so expensive, not to worry… There are a lot of options on the market these days in all price ranges. I’ll include some options at the bottom of this post.
Ingredients
For the chicken…
- Large Whole Chicken
- 100g of butter
- 1 whole lemon, pierced several times with a knife
- Sea salt flakes & freshly ground black pepper
For the gravy…
- A knob of butter
- A tablespoon or two of plain white flour
- 500ml chicken stock
- Lemon juice to taste (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to maximum heat on a regular, no-fan setting if possible. Meanwhile, grease your casserole by either rubbing some butter all along the inside or spray with some non-stick cooking spray.
2. Pop your chicken into the casserole and if it’s trussed, remove the strings and discard them. Place the pierced lemon inside the chicken’s cavity and rub the 100g of butter all over the skin, massaging it in as much as possible. Salt and pepper the top and pop into the oven without the lid for 30 minutes to crisp the skin. Don’t worry if you’re chicken is squeezed into the casserole tightly – as long as the lid will fit on, it’s perfectly fine.
3. After the 30 minutes, your bird should look crispy, golden-brown on top. Baste it quickly with either the pan juices or a little chicken stock and pop on the lid. If you don’t have a baster, just use a spoon, but be careful not to burn yourself. Reduce the heat to 200°C (180°C Fan) and leave it to roast for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Be sure to baste the chicken another time or two during the process either with the pan juices or with some chicken stock.
4. Once the chicken is done, remove it from the oven. Take the chicken out of the pot – I find it’s easiest to do this using a pair of sturdy tongs and a wooden spoon, getting underneath it to support the weight – and place it on a plate or a cutting board. Cover with two layers of foil loosely and leave to rest for about 15 or 20 minutes while you make the gravy and finish off any sides you’re serving. Chicken cooked on the bone should retain its heat for around 30 minutes while it rests and the foil will help with that as well, so there’s really no need to feel like you have to rush. If you think you’re going to need more than 20 minutes and you want to be on the safe side, lay a tea towel over the foil for a bit of extra insolation.
5. Once it has rested, you can carve and serve your beautiful bird with whatever sides and trimmings you like. I prefer my homemade gravy (see recipe below) whenever possible, but you can use whatever sauces and sides you like. You can also remove the lemon from the cavity and carefully half and then squeeze over the chicken. Be careful not to burn yourself if you’re doing this.
For the gravy…
Firstly let me say that gravy is a numbers game… I almost never make the right amount because it all depends on how much it thickens so I usually end up with a little too much. However, there’s no such thing as too much gravy as far as I’m concerned. So, I usually go with this for a measure… For 2-4 people, I use 1 heaping tablespoon of flour. For 4 or more people I would use 2 heaping tablespoons of flour and you may or may not need more than the suggested 500ml of chicken stock. In my opinion, it’s better to have too much than not enough so you’ll have to go with your gut. But here’s a rough guide and the more you do it, the more you’ll make your own tweaks until it has the consistency and flavour that suits your palette best…
1. Once you’ve removed the chicken from the pan, also remove most of the juices and reserve them in a bowl or jug that you set aside for a few minutes. Leave just a little bit of the cooking juices in the bottom of the pan, about enough to cover the bottom.
2. Put the casserole with some of the juices on medium high heat and scrape the bottom & sides of the pan to loosen some of the crispy, crunchy bits left behind by the chicken. When the juices start to bubble, add the knob of butter and stir in until melted and bubbling up.
3. Using a wire whisk, stir in the flour and let it cook for a minute or two in the butter. Then stir in the remaining juices from the chicken. It should thicken up really nicely. Add a bit of lemon juice at this point if you’re using it and while still stirring, pour in some chicken stock, a little at a time until you reach a consistency you like. Keep stirring until you have a nice drippy, but still slightly thick consistency that would coat the back of a spoon, but not clumpy.
4. Season to taste with salt & pepper if needed and if you like, add some more lemon juice. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer while you plate or serve.
5. Stir before serving in case of a skin on top until smooth and if it’s too thick, simply add some more chicken stock. If it gets too thin, you can slake a spoonful of flour in some milk with a whisk and stir that in to thicken it. Pour into a gravy boat (preferably warmed in the oven) and serve alongside the chicken.
Try with these recipes!
Click below to shop lidded casserole dishes.
