Thyme Chicken

Ingredients

• 1.4 kg whole roast chicken (1 whole roast chicken)
• Sea salt
• Pepper
• 4 untreated lemons
• 6 sprigs Thyme
• 50 g butter
• 350 ml poultry stock
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp sherry

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 180°C with fan and top heating.

2. 2.

   Wash the chicken, pat it dry, and season the inside with salt and pepper. Cut the lemons in half and fill four quarters with 3-4 sprigs of thyme, then place them inside the chicken. Tie the chicken with kitchen twine and lay it breast‑up on a roasting tray. Melt the butter and season it with salt and pepper; brush the chicken all around with some of this butter and arrange the remaining lemon wedges with thyme around the bird. Pour a little stock into the pan, cover loosely, and roast for about 1 hour, basting occasionally with more stock.

3. 3.

   Remove the chicken from the oven. Add honey and sherry to the remaining butter and brush the chicken again. Return it to the oven at 240°C for 10–15 minutes until crisp. Taste the roasting juices before serving.