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Roasted Chicken with Rosemary & Thyme

Roast Chicken with Rosemary & Thyme

This roasted chicken is packed with herby flavours and a super easy dinner option - and always sure to impress! Salt the chicken up to 24 hours in advance to cooking for the best results.
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Servings 4
Prep Time 10 minutes
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • 1 large whole chicken about 1.75-2kg (~4lbs)
  • 1 tbsp coarse sea salt or kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking/bi-carb soda
  • ½ tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme finely chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh sage finely chopped
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 clove garlic grated or very finely minced
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil divided

Instructions
 

  • Using sturdy kitchen sheers, cut along one side of the backbone of the chicken. Repeat on the other side to remove the backbone entirely. Flip the chicken so that the breast is facing up. Use the sheers to remove the wing tips (see note 1).
    Prepping the chicken
  • Using the heel of your hand, press firmly on the breastbone to flatten the chicken. Use your fingers to loosen the skin from the flesh of the chicken, gently guiding your hand between flesh and the skin, avoiding tearing the skin.
    Flattening the chicken
  • Place the chicken on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the salt, baking soda and pepper. Sprinkle this over both sides of the chicken until thoroughly coated - you may not use all of the mixture. Arrange the chicken, breast-side up, on the wire rack and refrigerate - uncovered - for at least 2 hours and up to 24 (see note 2).
    Covering the chicken in a dry brine
  • Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. In a small bowl, whisk together the rosemary, thyme, sage, lemon zest, garlic and 1 tbsp of the oil.
    Whisking the herbs, lemon zest, garlic & oil
  • Use your fingers to rub the herb paste underneath the skin of the chicken, being careful not to tear the chicken skin. Brush the skin of the chicken with the remaining 1 tbsp of oil.
    Rubbing the herb paste onto the chicken
  • Transfer the chicken to the oven and roast until its deeply golden brown, the skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer registers 75°C/165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast - about 40-50 minutes (see note 3). Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes, uncovered, before carving.
    Removing the chicken from the oven

Video

Notes

  1. Save the backbone and wingtips to make stock - they freeze very well.
  2. Don't stress if you don't budget the time to salt the chicken hours ahead of time - the chicken can benefit from even a short time sitting in the dry brine (even if it's only while you're preparing the rest of your ingredients).
  3. For the best results, rely on the internal temperature of the bird to gauge doneness and not time or other visual indicators. 

Nutrition

Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 407mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.03g | Vitamin A: 366IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg

Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

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