Roast chicken recipe

Crispy skin and juicy meat infused with garlic butter, what more could you want from a roast chicken? Korin Nolan and Sasha Parker share their perfect roast chicken recipe

• 1 whole chicken, 1.5kg
• 75g softened butter
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 6 whole cloves garlic, skin on
• 1 lemon, cut into quarters
• 1 red onion, thickly sliced

1. Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before you want to cook it and allow to come up to room temperature.
2. Preheat your oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas mark 7.
3. Mix the butter with the garlic and add a little salt and pepper. Then leave to one side.
4. Using the tip of a knife, gently separate the skin from the meat at the front cavity of the bird. Continue to work the knife down the length of the breast, making sure you don't break the skin. (Watch the cookery video to see how to do it.)
5. Lift up the skin and spoon two thirds of the butter and garlic under it, then stroke your finger over the outside of the skin to help distribute the butter evenly. Rub the rest of the butter mix over the outside of the bird.
6. Place the onion slices on the bottom of a roasting tray and put the bird on top. Roast at 220°C, fan 200°C, gas mark 7 for 15 minutes to help crisp up the skin, then turn the oven down to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas mark 6 and continue to cook for a further hour and 5 minutes, or until the juices of the chicken run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in a warm place for 15-20 minutes - this will help to make the meat really juicy and tender. Take the garlic and lemon out of the chicken and serve on the side along with the red onion slices.

Here's how to work out the cooking time for your chicken: twenty minutes per 450g of chicken plus an extra 20 minutes at the end.

Recipe by How to Cook in High Heels