3 new and delicious ways to roast your chicken

Butter or ghee are commonly inserted under the skin for a super juicy bird. This recipe by Abigail Donnelly takes things one step further, by stuffing a mix of cremezola, lemon zest, thyme and garlic under the skin. The results are a showstopping, tender roast that is outrageously easy to make.

Ingredients:

For the stuffing, mix:

• 60 g cremezola (or ½ cup cream cheese)
• 1 lemon, zested
• 3 sprigs thyme, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed

For the chicken:

• 1 whole free range chicken
• 2 T butter
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 bulbs fennel, halved
• ½ lemon
• 4 shallots, halved
• 2 T olive oil
• ½ cup Woolworths Organic Chicken Stock
• ½ cup white wine

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Using your fingers, separate the chicken’s skin from the breast. Push the stuffing between the breast meat and skin.
2. Rub the chicken with butter and season.
3. Place the chicken in a large roasting tray and arrange the fennel, lemon and shallots around the bird. Drizzle with olive oil.
4. Pour the stock and wine around the chicken and roast for 60-90 minutes, or until golden and tender.

Serves 4-6

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 60-90 minutes

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Sweet citrus coupled with salty ham makes for a deliciously different roast chicken that will be a showstopper on any table.

Ingredients:

• 1 large free range whole chicken
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 70 g serrano ham
• 100 g butter
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 3 Cara Cara oranges, halved
• 1 lemon leaf
• 200 g baby carrots
• 4 cloves
• 1 garlic bulb, halved
• 5 oranges, juiced
• 1 lemon, halved
• 250 ml chicken stock
• 1 x 400 g butter beans can, drained and rinsed

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Season the chicken both inside and out with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
2. Place the chicken on a clean board, breast facing up, and cover the breast with the serrano ham. Dot with a little butter, rub the wings and legs with the remaining butter and drizzle with olive oil. 
3. Place one half of a Cara Cara orange in the chicken cavity with a lemon leaf. Using butcher’s twine or craft string, truss the chicken’s legs together. 
4. Place the baby carrots in a large baking tray and add the cloves, garlic, remaining Cara Cara oranges, orange juice, lemon halves and stock. 
5. Place the chicken on top of the baby carrots, making sure the chicken does not touch the bottom of the tray. Roast for 1½ hours. 
6. Halfway through the roasting time, add the butter beans and continue roasting. As they roast, the skins of the beans will crisp and split. 
7. Remove from the oven and squeeze the roasted Cara Cara oranges and the lemons over the chicken and into the sauce. Allow to rest for 20 minutes. Serve with the beans, carrots and sweet citrus sauce.

Serves 4

Prep time: 20 minute

Cooking time: 1.5 hours

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It  takes just 10 minutes to prep this recipe, and only one tray!

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 T Woolworths Soffritto Paste
• 3 T olive oil
• ½ t chilli flakes
• 2 t smoked paprika
• 1 whole free range chicken
• A halved lemon
• 700 g baby potatoes
• A few knobs butter
• 1 x 100 g jar capers with all the brine

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Combine crushed garlic, Woolworths Soffritto Paste, olive oil, chilli flakes and smoked paprika. Brush onto 1 whole free range chicken and stuff­ the chicken with a halved lemon.
2. Arrange on a baking tray with baby potatoes and a few knobs of butter. Roast for 20 minutes, then baste with the soffritto and add the jar of capers with all the brine.
3. Roast for a further 20–30 minutes or until the chicken is crispy, moist and cooked through.

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

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Prefer a quick fix?

SHOP EASY TO COOK CHICKEN ROASTS