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Sunday Roast Chicken

Sunday Roast Chicken

⏱ 2 hours 👥 4 serves Track 4

The Story

This is the Sunday classic — the track your grandparents played, your parents played, and now you're playing for your own table. It's timeless, like vinyl that never goes out of style. A whole chicken, golden and crackling, surrounded by roasted vegetables that have soaked up every buttery, herby note from the pan.

The tempo is adagio — slow, unhurried, deliberate. There's a rhythm to Sunday cooking: the oven hums, the chicken roasts, the kitchen fills with thyme and lemon. Every 20 minutes you baste, adding another layer to the flavour. By the time it's done, the skin is crisp as a cymbal crash, the meat tender as a slow ballad.

This is the meal you gather around. It's not just food — it's a weekly ritual, a shared moment, a reason to put phones down and pass plates around. Serve it with gravy, greens, and good company. This one's for keeps.

Credits (Ingredients)

  • 1.8kg whole chicken
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 50g butter, softened
  • 800g potatoes, peeled and halved
  • 4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 brown onions, cut into wedges
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper

Lyrics (Method)

  1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towel — dry skin equals crispy skin. Season the cavity and the outside generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, half the garlic cloves, and half the thyme sprigs. Rub the softened butter all over the chicken skin, getting into every crevice. Tie the legs together with kitchen string if you have it.
  3. In a large roasting tray, toss the potatoes, carrots, onions, remaining garlic, and remaining thyme with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange them around the edges of the tray, leaving space in the centre for the chicken.
  4. Place the chicken breast-side up in the centre of the tray, nestled among the vegetables. Roast for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, basting every 20-30 minutes with the pan juices.
  5. The chicken is done when the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh, or when a meat thermometer reads 75°C. The skin should be deeply golden and crisp.
  6. Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes. Keep the vegetables warm in the turned-off oven.
  7. Carve the chicken and arrange on a serving platter with the roasted vegetables. Drizzle over any resting juices and pan drippings. Serve with gravy, greens, or whatever your Sunday table demands.
  8. For the ultimate gravy, pour the pan drippings into a jug, skim off excess fat, then whisk in a splash of wine or stock and simmer until glossy. Strain and season to taste.

Nutrition (Per Serve)

Energy 450 kcal
Protein 38g
Carbs 25g
Fat 24g