Honey & Lemon Roast Chicken

1.5kg chicken

4 or 5 smallish potatoes, peeled and halved

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

2 lemons

200ml chicken stock

Clear honey

1 clove of garlic

A few sprigs of thyme

Salt

Pepper

preparation 5 mins • you cook for 27 mins • total time 1 hr 52 mins

Serves 2 hungry people

Watch a 30 second preview of my cook-along video below

If you cannot view the video below, click here to download QuickTime from Apple's website.

Chicken is our nation's favourite for a roast dinner and this is my take on it. I love the sharpness of the lemon against the sweet honey flavour that runs through this dish. Crispy skin is a must and you won't be disappointed here. This is a three part recipe. In part one we make the glaze and get the chicken on. In part two we glaze the chicken and roast the potatoes. In part three we carve and serve!

Large roasting tin.

Saucepan for the potatoes

Saucepan for the carrots

Sieve

Another small saucepan for the gravy

Ramekin for the glaze

Pastry brush

Spoon to stir

Before you start, preheat your oven to 180c, have two pans of salted boiling water on the hob. Have all the ingredients prepped and ready. Now click here!

Before you start, take the chicken out of the oven and have the potatoes and glaze to hand. Now click here!

Before you start, take the chicken out of the oven and have your other pan and sieve ready with the stock. Now click here!

Preheat your oven to 180c and put 2 pans of salted boiling water on the hob. Put about 3 tablespoons of honey into a ramekin, along with the juice from 2 lemons and then mix together. Season the chicken all over and inside with salt and pepper. Rub the seasoning into the skin and then add the lemons you used for the glaze, into the cavity of the chicken. Put the chicken in your roasting tray and then give your hands a good wash. Next pop the chicken in the oven for 1 hour & 20 minutes. Put the potatoes and carrots into the pans of salted water and leave to boil for 8 minutes, after which time, drain them and put them back in their pans (don't cover). There should be nothing to do for about 30 minutes.

After the chicken has had 40 minutes, take the roasting tray out of the oven and remove the chicken to a board. Pop the potatoes into the roasting tray and give them a shake around to get them coated with the fat from the chicken. Next add a sprinkle of salt and pepper over the potatoes and scatter with the thyme leaves. Arrange the potatoes around the outside of the tray and then put the chicken back in to the tray. Next take the glaze and using your pastry brush, brush the glaze all over the chicken. Pop the chicken back in the oven for 40 minutes. Now's a good time to make up the chicken stock for later.

After the chicken has had another 40 minutes (1hour 20 total) remove from the oven. To check the chicken is cooked through, insert the point of a sharp knife or skewer into a fleshy part of the chicken. If the juices that come out are clear, the chicken is cooked! Remove the chicken onto a board to rest. Take the potatoes out of the tray onto a plate, turn your oven off and pop the plate back in the oven to keep warm. Put your roasting tin onto a high heat on the hob. Add a knob of butter and clove of garlic into the carrots and turn the pan onto a low heat. By now your roasting tray should be bubbling away, so add in the chicken stock. Give the bottom of the pan a nice scrape with your wooden spoon. Give the carrots a quick shake around in the pan.

Turn the heat off your roasting trayand then drain the roasting tray through a sieve into your saucepan. Turn the saucepan onto a low heat. Give the carrots a little shake around and hopefully they'll have little colour on them now. Add a little pinch of salt to the carrots, shake and turn the heat off.

To serve, well you know this bit, add some carved chicken pieces, potatoes and carrots to your plate and spoon on some jus.

I hope that you enjoy it.

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