clean plates + roast chicken

there is not much more gratifying as a "cook" than clean plates - i mean nearly licked clean plates - and that is what we had around the dinner table tonight. Sorry no photos so you have to take my word for it.

Seems like everyone loves a chicken roast, with roast vegies. Tonight they got their wish. A whole free range chook (large) stuffed with butter, some fresh corn sliced off a cob and some fresh herbs - tarragon, rosemary and oregano. I also stuffed some herb butter under the skin of the breast of the bird (thanks Jamie O) as this is a great trick for keeping the bird moist.

I browned the skin in a frypan with a good sized knob of butter and 1/3 cup of vegatable oil, then i roasted it. I cooked it for 1 1/2 hours on 220c but it wasnt cooked through so i put it back in for about another 20 mins and then i rested it. I used some of the pan juices (after taking off about half of the oil) with a chicken gravy mix and a cup of boiling water to make a really nice gravy.

for the vegetables i cubed some potatoes(roughly 1cm), i cut the top off of 2 large red onions, then cut them in half taking the outside skin off but leaving the bottom end of them intact and then i cut each half into 4. I also peeled and cut 4 carrots lengthwise in half and then into thirds. I put all of these vegetables into a large roasting pan and put them in the oven coated in olive oil and seasoned with salt/pepper. about 30mins from the end of cooking i placed a whole head of garlic with the top cut off and olive oil poured on top into the pan to cook.

I also cooked some brocholi and runner beans in a little butter and salt/pepper for 5 minutes in a microwave (with the lid on) right at the end.

I cut the chicken up in a rustic fashion (legs off, wings off and then the breasts cut into 1/4s) and placed this in a dish (with a little of the pan juices on top and some of the stuffing in a bowl) and the vegetables were served right out of the pans/dishes they were cooked in. Great meal - evidence. Few left overs, and clean plates.