Simple Slow Roast Chicken

If there is one thing I've tried a hundred variations for it's the humble Roast Chicken. There are literally so many ways to cook a chicken and they each have their own virtues. 

This particular variation is a 'slow cooked' version; which is actually only two and a half hours in the oven so isn't a great investment; but the end result is a perfectly cooked, moist and tender chicken, with crispy browned skin and tons of flavour. 

As with all roasted meats; the important thing is to allow the meat to rest after cooking as it will then retain its juices and be succulent; rather than dry. Everyone loves a good Sunday roast dinner and if you're not confident in cooking a chicken this is an excellent way to start and fool-proof in my experience. 

You'll see I cooked this alongside the Slow Roast Pork Belly with Crispy Crackling which is also cracking .

Simple Slow Roast Chicken

Here's how:

• 1 large chicken (approx 1.6kg-2kg)
• 1 large glass white wine
• Chicken stock
• 6 garlic cloves
• Thyme leaves and stalks (or dried thyme)
• Rosemary leaves and stalks (or dried)
• 1 lemon
• Knob of butter
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees. 

Place the chicken into a large roasting tin. Now use your hands to smear over the butter all over the skin; this will help to result in crispy skin and moist meat underneath.

Wash your hands, and then season the bird with sea salt and black pepper. 

Pour the white wine into the bottom of the roasting tin (be careful not to pour any onto the chicken skin) and then make up the same amount of chicken stock as the wine, about 250ml or just under and pour into the bottom of the tin too. 

Throw in the rosemary and thyme all around the tin, and scatter the garlic cloves. Cut the lemon into halves or wedges and add to the roasting tin. 

Now loosely cover the roasting tin in foil and place into the oven for 1 hour exactly. 

Remove from the oven, and take off the tin foil. Return for 50 minutes and then turn the temperature up to 220 degrees and cook for 30 minutes more which will help with browning the skin.

Take the chicken out of the oven and carefully take it out of the tin and place onto a plate. Loosely cover with tin foil and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes or 60 if you have the time. Enjoy!

Simple Slow Roast Chicken with Slow Roast Cider Pork Belly

Slow Roast Pork Belly with Crispy Crackling

My Mum is a bit of a crackling queen and she happily passed on her year's knowledge to me with cooking pork and the perfect, crispy crackling. Always dry the outer side with kitchen towels or a clean tea towel (which then goes into the dirty washing), score deep into the fat, but not into the meat flesh, and salt, plenty of sea salt. 

This is a slow cooked belly of pork that I cooked with the Simple Slow Cooked Chicken last weekend and it is a bit of a showstopper with that crackling. 

I've used a dry white wine here (Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc) but this also works beautifully with a dry cider in the tin too so feel free to experiment.

Slow Roast Pork Belly with Crispy Crackling

Here's how:

• 2kg belly pork
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• 250ml dry white wine or a dry cider
• 250ml chicken stock
• Fresh thyme
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 3 bay leaves
• Fry Light or olive oil
• 2 carrots

Firstly whack the oven up to 230 degrees on high. 

Now prepare the meat as above, dry the skin and most importantly the fat. Now use a sharp knife and score across diagonally both ways all across the fat, so you have a criss cross of incisions. You need to go as far down into the fat as you feel confident without touching the flesh of the meat. 

Now season generously with sea salt, a good pinch, and black pepper to taste. You also need to oil the meat (but not the fat!) so I use Fry Light to gently spray around the outside of the meat, just a few sprays. 

Chop the carrots into equally sized pieces and place into the middle of the roasting tin, ready for the pork belly to sit on top of. This will help to cook the meat evenly all over and prevent the bottom side drying out. 

Split the garlic bulb into 3-4 bits and scatter around the roasting tin.

Place into the oven and roast for 50 minutes then remove from the oven.

Turn the oven down to 160 degrees. 

Now without touching the meat and especially the crackling, pour in the white wine and chicken stock. Now return to the oven and cook for a further three hours, by which time, the meat should be incredibly tender. Allow to rest for 30 minutes before carving. Enjoy!