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Zesty roast chicken

Roast chicken is loved by my family so I cook it often. This zesty roast chicken is one of my favourite recipes - it's aromatic, zingy and the flesh is really succulent. It's absolutely delicious! I normally serve it with mashed sweet potatoes and a steamed vegetable salad. Sometimes I add veggies to the roasting dish too such as carrot, sweet potato, red pepper, swede, squash or parsnip pieces (whatever I find in the fridge that can be roasted)!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: British
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole chicken 2-2.5 kg
  • 30 g butter or dairy-free margarine
  • 2 lemons unwaxed
  • 2 limes unwaxed
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • A few sprigs of thyme
  • 3 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
  2. Wipe the chicken dry, then rub inside and out with the butter.
  3. Finely grate the rind of the lemon and lime, then squeeze out their juice. Mix the zest and juice with the oil.
  4. Put ½ a lemon and ½ a lime in the cavity of the chicken together with the garlic and one bay leaf.
  5. Place the chicken in a roasting dish. Scatter the remaining citrus pieces, the bay leaves and the thyme around the chicken. Season with salt and pepper, then pour over the citrus & oil mixture.
  6. Bake for about 100 minutes, while occasionally basting the chicken with the resulting juices. Insert a skewer between the thighs. If clear juice is coming out, the chicken is cooked through.
  7. Take it out of the oven, transfer it to a plate, cover and rest for 15 minutes before serving.