Roast chicken
Originally uploaded by sfllaw.

I don't often go to potluck dinners because people don't often host them. But I'm happy to show up with the main course whenever I'm invited.

I had a nice time at le_maistre_e's place last night, even though I could barely catch up with any of the conversation. Instead, I faded in and out of consciousness on the sofa, sipping a mug of after-dinner coffee.

I had brought a roasted chicken, because I was exceptionally lazy. Chicken is one of the easiest roasts and basically takes care of itself if you treat it right. And with this recipe, you will get one of the most fragrant roasted chickens you've ever tasted. The secret is in keeping the chicken moist.

Lemon roasted chicken

Ingredients

• 1 chicken
• 5L water
• 250mL salt
• 250mL sugar
• 50mL dark soya sauce
• 50mL butter, room temperature
• 4 stalks rosemary
• 15mL paprika
• black pepper
• lemon
• 4 carrots
• 1 large red onion
• 1 head of garlic
• 15mL cornflour

Directions

1. Get your chicken and wash it out with cold water. Your chicken is probably trussed up, so get its legs out from under the twine so you can get at the cavity. You will want to wash inside the cavity, getting out as much blood and guts as possible.
2. If there's still a bit of neck attached, twist it off. You may have to bend it back and forth a few times, but soon enough it will snap. Then, remove the wishbone for simple carving.
3. Add the water to a big pot, big enough such that the chicken can fit comfortably inside. Dissolve the salt and sugar in before adding the soya sauce. Dunk the chicken inside so that the liquid gets into the cavity. The whole point of this brining is to moisten the chicken breast. Leave it covered, in the refrigerator, for at least an hour. Two hours is better, overnight is excellent.
4. You can prepare your roasting tin at this point in time. Cut your carrots and red onion into healthy chunks. Peel most of the paper off the head of garlic, but don't break it apart. Arrange your roasting tin so that the garlic is in the centre and the vegetables surround it.
5. Now we can make the butter. Rip the leaves off the rosemary stalks and bruise them a bit with the flat of your knife.
6. In a small bowl, combine the butter, rosemary, and paprika. Add a pinch of salt and a good long grind of black pepper. Grate the zest of your lemon into it and combine.
7. When the chicken is done brining, fish it out and pat it very dry. If it's wet, the butter won't stick.
8. Get your fingers under the skin of the breast and stretch it out. Then, rub some of the butter into the underside of the skin. Rub butter into the cavity, and then massage the rest of the butter all over the chicken. Pamper it!
9. Cut the lemon in half, you only need half of it. Poke a few holes in the skin and then stuff that half into the cavity. This will steam and perfume your chicken from within.
10. If you have a V-shaped roasting rack, then great! Remove the butcher's twine completely and set the rack with the chicken over the vegetables in your tin. If not, get the legs back into the twine and set the bird directly atop the vegetables.
11. Set the tin in a preheated oven at 220°C for about 15 to 20 minutes, so that skin starts to brown. Then, lower the temperature to 200°C for another 15 to 20 minutes per 500g. Longer if your oven lies to you, but you should really invest in an oven thermometer. Do not be tempted to baste the chicken or open the oven door every minute.
12. You can test whether the chicken is done by poking your knife into the thickest part of the meat, where the leg meets the breast. If the juices run clear, it's done. Take it out of the oven and remove the bird to a plate.
13. Using a slotted spoon, take the roasted vegetables out and put them into a serving bowl. Taste them to see if they need salt and pepper, but they probably don't.
14. On to the gravy. Skim the vast majority of the oil out of the roasting tin. Turn your stove on low, set the tin on a burner, and add some chicken stock or water. Applying a wooden spoon to the tin, scrape up as much of the browned bits, the fond, as possible. Ignore the burnt bits. Tip this liquid into a waiting saucepan. Put the saucepan on the heat and bring it up to a simmer. Slowly drizzle a slurry of cornflour and cold water into the gravy, until it comes to the right thickness. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour it out into a gravy boat.
15. By now, your chicken should be properly rested and ready for carving. Bring it, the vegetables, and the gravy to the table with pride.

Serves 6.