Roast chicken

A simple Czech-style roast chicken rubbed with caraway and garlic and roasted golden with potatoes — an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner for four.

Ingredients

• chicken1.2 kg
• caraway1 tsp
• garlic4 cloves
• butter40 g
• salt1 tsp
• potatoes500 g

Method

1. Prepare the rub. Crush the garlic to a paste with the salt, then mix thoroughly with the softened butter and caraway seeds. You want a fragrant, spreadable paste.
2. Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken dry all over with kitchen paper — this is key to getting crisp skin. Rub the butter paste all over the bird, working some under the breast skin with your fingers.
3. Prep the potatoes. Peel and cut the potatoes into roughly 4 cm chunks. Arrange them in the bottom of a roasting tin, season with a pinch of salt, and sit the chicken on top.
4. Roast at high heat. Roast at 220°C (fan 200°C) for 20 minutes to get the skin golden and the fat running. The tin will sizzle — that's what you want.
5. Reduce heat and continue. Turn the oven down to 190°C (fan 170°C) and roast for a further 45–50 minutes. Baste the chicken and turn the potatoes halfway through so they colour evenly in the juices.
6. Check it's cooked. Pierce the thickest part of the thigh — the juices must run completely clear with no trace of pink. If you have a thermometer, the meat should read at least 75°C at the thigh bone.
7. Rest before carving. Lift the chicken onto a board, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 10 minutes — this keeps the meat juicy. Return the potatoes to the oven to stay hot and crisp up a little more while you wait.
8. Carve and plate. Carve the chicken and arrange on warm plates with the roasted potatoes. Spoon over any pan juices for a simple, flavourful sauce.

Safety & hygiene Important

• Check poultry is fully cooked. Chicken must never be served undercooked. Always check that juices run completely clear at the thickest part of the thigh, or confirm an internal temperature of at least 75°C with a meat thermometer.
• Raw chicken cross-contamination. Wash your hands and any boards or utensils thoroughly after handling raw chicken, and keep it away from cooked food and any ingredients that won't be cooked.