How to cook roast chicken

Whether you're entertaining or whipping up a family meal, nothing beats a flavoursome roast chicken. Here's a guide on how to achieve crispy, golden skin and perfectly tender meat.

STEP 1

First preheat the oven to 220 degrees celsius. Line a roasting pan with baking paper.

STEP 2

Use paper towel to pat the chicken dry. This will help the skin crisp up. Place the chicken breast-side up in the pan. Loosely tie the legs together with kitchen string. Brush the skin of the chicken with olive oil and season well with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.

STEP 3

Place the chicken in the centre of the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180 degrees Celsius. A 1.5kg chicken will take about 1 hour to cook.

STEP 4

Remove the chicken from the oven. To test if the chicken is cooked, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh. If the juices run clear and there is no sign of pink, the chicken is ready.

STEP 5

Cover loosely with foil. Set aside for 10 minutes to rest before cutting into pieces to serve. Carve the chicken and enjoy it with gravy and your favourite veggies.