Garlic, lemon & thyme roast chicken

This is a delicious and easy roast chicken recipe.

Roast chicken with garlic, lemon & thyme

• A 1.5-2 kg whole raw chicken (preferably free-range) with the innards (entrails) removed
• A whole garlic bulb (made up of approximately 10 individual cloves)
• 5 Fresh lemons (preferably unwaxed)
• A bunch of thyme herb
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil

Step 1 – Ensure that the raw chicken has been removed from the fridge and kept at room temperature for as short a time as possible.

Step 2 – Ensure that your oven is pre-heated to a temperature of 190 degrees Celsius.

Step 3 – Place the raw chicken into an oven-proof dish. Rub the chicken with salt, black pepper and olive oil.

Step 4 – Cut the fresh lemons into half and squeeze the juice of two halves onto the chicken. Place two of the other lemon halves into the internal cavity and place the remaining lemon halves within the oven-proof dish with the chicken.

Step 5 – Place the thyme herb into and under the skin of the chicken – this will add a delicious flavour to the chicken. Peel the garlic cloves and cut each clove in half. Cut small incisions all over into the chicken and place the garlic cloves (that have been cut into half) into these incisions. Cover this oven-proof dish with baking foil whilst cooking to ensure that the chicken remains moist and succulent and does not dry out. The garlic when roasting will give a delicious and mellow garlic flavour and when you slice through the chicken, the garlic will be visible.

Step 6 – Cook the chicken for approximately an hour ensuring that the chicken is fully cooked – you may need a slightly longer cooking time. A way to check that the chicken is cooked through is to cut between a chicken leg and the body and to check that the juices flow out, also there should be no blood or red/pink colour here and the flesh should be white coloured.

There you have it, a tasty treat. Enjoy!

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