Recipes

Roast Chicken Upside Down - Rotisserie style chicken at home

By , Medium Well

For juicy, melt in the mouth chicken, lots of chefs will turn the bird over during cooking. To an extent it’s an oven version of a chicken rotisserie, (which we all love right?) as it makes sure there is even cooking, as the heat penetrates the bird evenly. This makes sure the meat is nice and moist, and although it takes a bit more care and attention than just whacking it in the oven, it’s definitely worth it, if you like juicy chicken with a lovely crispy skin!

Rotisserie style chicken at home

  • Preparation Time: 15 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 Hour 30 minutes
  • Servings: serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 Whole Chicken
  • Tsp Chicken Rub
  • 2 red onions, peeled and quartered
  • 2 leeks, cut crossways into chunks
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-4 chunks
  • 1 garlic bulb, halved
  • 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs
  • Lemon, cut into wedges
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Handful fresh sage leaves
  • 750ml chicken stock
  • Salt and Pepper   

Method

  1. Take the chicken from the fridge and let it come up to room temperature for 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, Season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper, and heat the oven to 200ºC fan (220ºC/gas 7).
  2. Put the chopped onions, carrots, garlic, thyme and lemon wedges in a roasting tin. Sprinkle on the thyme, season with salt and pepper and then pour on half the olive oil (1 tsp) and give everything a good stir in the tin so everything has a nice costing of oil and thyme.Chicken Rub Prep
  3. Pop the chicken breast-side up on top of the vegetables, and drizzle the other Tbsp oil over the chicken and sprinkle the chicken rub on.
  4. Put the tin in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, until the skin on the breast is nice and crispy and golden coloured. Turn the chicken onto one of its sides and baste well. If needed you can use the vegetables to prop the chicken up when it’s on it’s side to stop it flipping over.Sideways Chicken
  5. Roast for another 15 minutes, then turn the bird onto it’s other side, baste it again, and roast this way for a further 15 minutes.
  6. Now it’s time to turn the chicken over onto its breast, so the back of the bird is facing up. Baste it well again, and return it back to the oven for a final 15 minutes.Upsidedown Chicken      
  7. To check if the chicken is done, insert a skewer or the tip of a sharp, thin knife deep into the chicken thigh/leg. It is cooked if the juices run clear, but if there are traces of blood it’s important that you keep cooking until these are gone. If you are using a meat/poultry thermometer you want an internal temperature of 75ºC when cooked.
  8. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean chopping board, or plate and cover it loosely in foil, and pop a tea-towel over it, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. This is important as it allows the juices to evenly distribute into the meat, rather than being lost if you carve straightaway.
  9. Take the lemon and and garlic from the vegetables, then using a slotted spoon, transfer the veg into a serving bowl and stir in the sage.
  10. You can use the cooking liquid from the roasting tin to make a chicken gravy, then carve the chicken and serve with the vegetables.Chicken Rubbed

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