Day 38 - Roast chicken

I love roast chicken. I ocassionally make it so often I do get over it and won't do it for months, but normally, there is roast chicken about once a fortnight.

Selection of vegetables cut into same size chunks
Toss w/ some olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh herbs (ideally sage and tarragon)

Clean the chicken.

Cut up an onion and saute with some garlic until translucent. Toss through some herbs.
Get a couple of handfuls of fresh breadcrumbs and finely grated lemon rind. Fold through the onion and add some water until it's all moist and holds together.
Somtimes I put pine nuts in and add a mushroom or two when cooking the onion.

Stuff the cavity with the stuffing. If you've got loads left over, gently form a cavity between the breast meat and skin and shove up under there as well.

Preheat oven to 220C
In a large baking pan put the chicken in and surround with the vegetables.
Drizzle a bit of oil over the bird and rub in some sea salt.

Cook for an hour.
Remove everything.
Drain off excess oil, then over a flame add 2 tablespoons of plain flour and brown, scraping up the bits stuck to the pan.
Add 750ml boiling water in batches, stirring vigorously to avoid lumps. If you're as hopeless at this as I am, add all the water and whisk the shit out of it. That or add it, scrap into a jug, blend with a hand held blender, then return to baking dish and cook until it thickens slightly.

Serve with steamed broccoli or green beans, or other veggies.