Roast chicken

Serve with a green salad and some crusty bread in summer or with roast potatoes, carrots and peas for winter – roast chicken is a dish for all seasons.

Less than 30 minspreparation time

1 to 2 hourscooking time

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. lemon
2. small bunch fresh thyme
3. 1 x 1.5-2kg/3lb 5oz-4lb 6oz free-range chicken, preferably organic
4. 2-3 garlic cloves
5. 50ml/2fl oz olive oil
6. sea salt, to taste
7. freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Slice the lemon halfway through lengthways. Insert a sprig of thyme into the slit and place the lemon inside the cavity of the chicken.
3. Make the flavoured oil. Strip the leaves from the remaining thyme stalks and place the leaves in a bowl.
4. Press the garlic cloves with the heel of your hand to lightly crush. Remove the skins and add the garlic cloves to the bowl.
5. Pour the olive oil into the bowl.
6. Using a pestle and mortar, a mini food processor or a hand blender, blend together the thyme leaves, garlic and olive oil. It should be quite liquid.
7. Spoon the thyme, garlic and oil mixture all over the chicken, working it into all the nooks and crannies.
8. Place the chicken in a roasting tray and pour over the remaining flavoured oil. Season the chicken generously with sea salt and black pepper.
9. Cover the chicken loosely with foil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and roast for another 20-30 minutes and reduce the temperature to 160C-180C/320F-350F/Gas 3-4. It's fully cooked when the juices run clear when the bird is pierced in the thigh with a skewer.
10. Turn off the oven and let the bird rest in the residual heat for at least ten minutes. Remove from the oven, then carve.
11. Stir the pan juices over the hob to heat through.
12. Serve the carved chicken on a large platter and pour the pan juices over the top.

Chicken Xacuti ( Shakuti)

This is a very famous dish authentic to the Konkan coast. The aroma that comes from the roasted spices from this dish will perfume your dinner table. Although it has a lot of spices it is not spicy or hot. It is generally eaten on a festive occasion. It is best with plain white rice.

Ingredients 
Serves: 8 

1. 1 Medium sized Chicken 
2. 3 tablespoons Ghee 
3. 6 Red Kashmiri Chillies 
4. 1 tablespoon Corriander Seeds 
5. 1/2 teaspoon Sesamee Seeds (til) 
6. 2 teaspoons Cloves 
7. 1 teaspoon Jeera 
8. 1/4 teaspoon Methi Seeds 
9. 8 Peppercorns 
10. 1 tablepoon Khus Khus 
11. 1 teaspoon Saunf 
12. 1 teaspoon Tumeric powder 
13. 1/2 Coconut scraped 
14. 5 Flakes of Garlic 
15. 1/2 Onion sliced 
16. 2 tablespoons Tamarind pulp 
17. Salt To taste 

Preparation method 
Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 40 mins 

1. Cut up the chicken in large chunks about 3 inch pieces. Apply salt and set aside. 2. In a frying pan put in 1 tablespoon of ghee fry the red chillies and all the dry spices till toasty and then add the coconut, the garlic and the onions fry for a little bit and then grind all the ingredients in a blender till you get a fine paste. 3. In a thick bottomed pot heat 2 tablespoons of ghee add the ground masala and fry well. Add in the chicken, mix well with the masala and put in 1 cup of water or till a thick gravy consistency. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil then cover and cook till chicken is fully cooked. Lastly add the tamarind pulp and serve hot with white rice.