Cider Roast Chicken Recipe close up

This Cider Roast Chicken Recipe really fits the phrase ‘winner winner chicken dinner’, it is a real winner. About four years ago Ian and I holidayed in Europe for a brief two weeks. One of our stops was Paris were we stayed with some of his family friends. During our stay we were treated to beautiful dinners with a very heavy but welcome focus on wines and cheeses, and of course local produce. One of the dishes they made for us, which has stayed in my tastebud memory bank, is this recipe for Cider Roast Chicken.

I saw for myself how simple it was to make without too much fuss (very French!). This is a variation of the recipe I was showed and I have been making it ever since. Try it for your next Sunday roast and let me know how it goes! Keen to hear which veggie and herb combinations you go with!

Note: you will need a Dutch oven for this recipe.

JC x

 

Cider Roast Chicken 

Serves four

 

1 whole chicken

2 medium sized lemons, quartered

Salt and pepper

5 stems of your favourite fresh herbs (I love marjoram, rosemary, sage, oregano and parsley)

6 garlic cloves, whole

2 cups of cider 

3-4 medium sized veggies, chopped into small pieces (I use 1 carrot, 1- 2 potatoes, 1 sweet potato or a wedge of pumpkin)

Balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

 

 

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.

 

Place the chopped veggies, four of the cloves and one quartered lemon into your Dutch oven.

 

Place the chicken on top of the veggies and push the remaining lemon (quartered), inside the chicken.

 

Roughly chop the herbs and two remaining garlic cloves.

 

Divide this mixture into four parts: tuck one quarter under the neck of the chicken, one quarter inside the chicken with the lemon, sprinkle the other quarter around the veggies and the remainder on the actual chicken.

 

Cider Roast Chicken RecipeFor an Asian version of this recipe, swap the European herbs with Thai basil and coriander

 

Drizzle the the chicken with olive oil, plenty of salt and pepper and massage it all over the bird.

 

Pour the cider over the veggies and cook for an hour with the lid on.

 

After an hour check the chicken, if it looks poached take the lid off and cook until golden brown. If already golden brown, drizzle the top with some balsamic vinegar and turn the chicken over – drizzle this side with balsamic vinegar and place the lid back on. Cook for another half hour.

 

Once completely golden this amazing roast will be perfectly cooked and ready to serve. Simple, juicy and absolutely delicious, I recommend serving the roast chicken with some fresh or steamed greens. A watercress salad is a great accompaniment, a simple garden salad or herbed and buttered asparagus spears.

Cider Roast Chicken Recipe with greensCider Roast Chicken – we served it with steamed baby kale, olive oil, salt and pepper, and some crushed hazelnuts

 

Notes: Root vegetables work really well in this dish, so feel free to add the ones you love the most. I have also used cabbage, and even the occasional apple. I have used raspberry juice (literal juice from frozen raspberries) instead of Balsamic vinegar and it worked beautifully.