How to Make Perfect roast chicken

this recipe...

A moist, delicious roast for Sundays!

ingredients

A free range, cornfed chicken, a lemon, garlic, fresh basil, butter, black pepper, parma ham.

method

rating

Soften the butter and mix with some chopped basil, a minced garlic clove, the zest of the lemon and some black pepper. Cut the lemon into wedges and stuff the cavity and neck of the bird with the lemon, 4-6 cloves of garlic and a couple of large sprigs of basil. Gently tease the skin away from the flesh of the bird over the breast and push some of the butter mixture under the skin, then rub the rest of the butter over the whole of the chicken. Lay parma ham over the top then roast the chicken, laying a piece of foil loosely over the top after 20 minutes, then removing it for the final 20 minutes. After removing from the oven, replace the foil and tightly cover the roasting tin with a thick, clean teatowel, then allow the chicken to rest for a minimum of 15 minutes before carving.