Thanksgiving chicken

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1 whole chicken of about 1.5–2 kg
• 1 batch of whipped herb butter (225 g butter, use to taste)
• ½ bunch of celery, washed and cut into large pieces
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 apple, cored and quartered
• 1 orange, washed and quartered
• 225 g carrots, cleaned and halved
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• A few fresh sage leaves
• Fresh parsley, to garnish
• A little oil to grease the roasting tin

For the gravy

• 475 ml pan juices from the roasting tin, topped up with chicken stock if needed
• 60 ml cold water
• 2 tbsp flour
• Pinch of salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Equipment

• Large roasting tin or oven dish
• Kitchen string
• Meat thermometer
• Aluminium foil
• Saucepan
• Whisk

Method

1. Prepare the chicken. Preheat the oven to 220 °C (conventional). Take the chicken out of the fridge. Remove any giblets. Pat the chicken thoroughly dry with kitchen paper.
2. Add the herb butter. Gently loosen the skin from the breast meat with your fingers or a spoon, without tearing the skin. Spread a generous amount of herb butter under the skin, on both sides of the breast. Rub the rest of the butter over the outside of the chicken, including the legs and wings.
3. Stuff the chicken. Fill the cavity with 2 apple wedges, 2 orange wedges, 1 onion wedge, 1 piece of celery, the thyme and the sage. Don’t pack it too tightly, so the heat can circulate.
4. Put the vegetables in the roasting tin. Lightly grease a large roasting tin with oil. Spread the carrots and the rest of the celery, onion, apple and orange over the bottom. They add extra flavour to the chicken and the gravy.
5. Put the chicken in the roasting tin. Place the chicken breast side up on the vegetables. Sprinkle with a little salt, depending on how salty your herb butter is. Tuck the wing tips under the chicken. Tie the legs together with kitchen string if you like.
6. Roast the chicken. Put the roasting tin in the oven. Roast for the first 15 minutes at 220 °C for golden brown skin. Then lower the oven to 165 °C. Roast for another 60–85 minutes, depending on the weight. Baste the chicken halfway through with some of the pan juices. Cover loosely with aluminium foil if the top gets too dark.
7. Check that the chicken is done. Measure the temperature in the thickest part of both the breast and the thigh. Make sure the thermometer does not touch the bone. The chicken is done at a minimum of 74 °C.
8. Let the chicken rest. Move the chicken to a large serving dish. Cover loosely with aluminium foil and let it rest for 15–20 minutes. This keeps the meat juicy and tender. Arrange the roasted vegetables around the chicken and garnish with fresh parsley.
9. Collect the pan juices. Pour the pan juices from the roasting tin through a sieve into a measuring jug. Top up with chicken stock until you have about 475 ml. Skim the fat off the top if you like.
10. Make the gravy. Bring the pan juices to a boil in a saucepan. Meanwhile, mix the cold water with the flour and a pinch of salt in a small jar. Shake or stir until there are no lumps. Slowly pour this mixture into the boiling pan juices, whisking all the time.
11. Thicken the gravy. Turn the heat to medium-high. Let the gravy simmer for 2–3 minutes, until it is as thick as you like and the flour is cooked. Add a splash of chicken stock if the gravy is too thick. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
12. Serve. Carve the chicken. Serve with the roasted carrots, celery, onion, apple and orange. Pour the warm gravy over the chicken or serve it on the side in a gravy boat.