My Perfect Roast Chicken Dinner

There's nothing more satisfying than sitting down to a complete roast chicken dinner, having enjoyed the smell of roasting chicken wafting through the house while it browns and crisps in the oven. It is a simple meal really, but ask any chef or cook what their favourite meal would be and for many this would be it - a roast chicken dinner. I am no exception. But there is one hard and fast rule to follow for the perfect meal: start off with the best chicken you can afford - this pays huge dividends and you do get what you pay for. Excellent organic Scottish chicken is now sometimes available and it's really worth waiting for. The difference in flavour and texture is truly amazing.

Serves 4

Ingredients

One 1.3-1.8 kg (3-4 lb) free-range organic chicken
1 lemon
4-5 garlic cloves
A handful of flatleaf parsley
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground pepper
8 large floury potatoes
8 medium parsnips
Vegetable oil
1 glass of white wine
½ chicken stock cube
Steamed broccoli, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Untruss the chicken and let it come to cool room temperature before cooking. Cut the lemon into eight wedges, and lightly crush the whole garlic cloves so that they just crack open. Feel inside the chicken cavity between the legs and pull out any large pieces of fat still clinging to the insides. Stuff the cavity with the lemon wedges, garlic cloves and a huge handful of flatleaf parsley, stalks and all. Rub the outside of the bird all over with 1-2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Slash down through the skin between the legs so that they go floppy; this lets the heat out of the oven into the legs. Sit the bird in a roasting tin and pour in the remaining olive oil. Roast on the middle shelf of the oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and par-boil in a large pan of boiling salted water for approximately 8 minutes. Peel the parsnips, trim and cut in long quarters and set aside. Drain the potatoes well, then use a fork to roughen the outside of each potato - this will make the crunchy crust. Pour a thin layer of vegetable oil into another roasting tin on top of the stove and heat until smoking hot. Carefully add the potatoes, turning them in the oil to coat, and making sure the oil has heated up again.

Open the oven door, remove the chicken and baste it with the juices in the tin. Stick in the parsnips, turning them in the pan juices. Return the chicken to the oven and put the potatoes on the highest shelf above the chicken. Roast for another 40 minutes, basting everything occasionally and turning the potatoes at least once during cooking.

When everything is looking good and golden brown, test the chicken to see if it is cooked by sticking a skewer in the thickest part of the leg. If the juices run clear, remove the chicken from the tin and set on a warm plate, covered loosely with a piece of foil, to rest for 10 minutes. Tip the excess fat out of the pan, return to the oven and let the parsnips crisp up for 10 minutes. Remove the parsnips and potatoes from the oven. Turn the oven off. Lift the potatoes out of the tin with a slotted spoon onto a warm serving dish and do likewise with the parsnips, then keep them warm in the oven with the door propped open.

Now make the gravy. Set the chicken roasting tin on the heat, and add the wine, stock cube and 150 ml (¼ pint) of water. Bring to the boil and boil furiously for 2-3 minutes, scraping up all the sticky bits from the bottom of the tin. Taste and season very well. Tip any juices that have flowed out of the chicken into the gravy, then strain into a warm jug or gravy boat. Allow to settle, then spoon off the fat from the top. Serve immediately, with some steamed broccoli.

© Nick Nairn

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