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The Naked Chef

List of Ingredients




The Naked Chef MY PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN & Mash Potatoes


I cook this every week and I always try to do something different with it. I've never actually seen anyone cook it like this, but it's very straightforward it must be the best way to have roast chicken and it makes a real change. Basically what I do is carefully part the skin from the meat on the top of the chicken breast and stuff the gap with fresh, delicate herbs such as parsley, basil and marjoram. Then I tie it up and roast it with some olive oil and salt.

Serves 4
One 2 1/2-3lb free-range chicken
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 small handfuls of fresh herbs (basil, parsley, marjoram), finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lemon, halved
4 bay leaves, torn
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary


Recipe



Preheat the oven and a roasting tray to 425ºF. Wash the chicken inside and out and pat it as dry as possible with paper towels. Some people remove the wishbone but I like to leave it in and later make a wish. Rub the cavity with salt, then, being very careful, grab the skin at the tip of the chicken breasts, making sure that it doesn't rip, and pull up gently. With your other hand gently separate the skin from the meat of the breast. It's normally connected by a little bit of tissuey-type stuff, and you can either leave this attached in the middle and make two little tunnels either side or you can try to cut away the middle. Sprinkle a little salt down the gaps that you have made, and push in the chopped herbs. Drizzle in a little olive oil. I don't always stuff the chicken but when I do I generally go with lemon, bay and rosemary, which I push into the cavity at this point. Pull the skin of the chicken breast forward so that none of the actual flesh is exposed, tuck the little winglets under, and tie up as firmly as possible with kitchen twine.
To me the perfect roast chicken has tender moist breast meat, crisp skin and, dare I say it, overcooked thigh meat. So at this point, simply slash across each thigh about 3 or 4 times and rub in some of the leftover herbs, which allows the heat to penetrate directly into the thigh meat, enabling it to cook faster. With your hand, rub a little olive oil into the skin of the chicken and season very generously with salt and pepper. Remove the hot tray from the oven and add a little oil. Put the chicken on one side, breast side down, on the tray and put back into the oven. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, then turn it over on to the other side, breast side down. Cook for another 5 minutes and then place the chicken on its back. Cook for 1 hour.
Use any excess fat that drips off into the roasting tray to roast your potatoes, or cook the potatoes in the tray with your chicken. The skin should be really crispy and the herbs will flavor the flesh this really must be the best roast chicken. Trust me it's not fiddly, it's pukka.


MASHED POTATO
I love mashed potato. Everyone's made it before, so I'm not trying to teach you a new recipe, but there is good mash and there is bad mash. With no extra effort you can make it really nice and have some simple variations to take a dinner in a completely different direction.

3lb boiling potatoes
1 tablespoon salt

Wash your potatoes, peel them and wash again. Cut them into equal-sized pieces so they will be ready at the same time. Just cover them with water. Add the salt. Boil until tender (until they fall off the blade easily when stabbed with a knife or you can just take one out, cut a bit off and taste it). When they are cooked, put them into a colander and allow to sit for 4 minutes, to let all the moisture and water drain and steam off. At this stage you can either place the potatoes back in the pan to be mashed or smashed; or you can use a mouli (one of those things that you spin round and it sort of mashes the potato for you); or you can use a ricer (this is like a big garlic press which pushes the potato through little holes, making it look like rice).

Variations:

Buttered Mashed Potatoes
Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of butter to your mashed potato. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add nutmeg to taste and mix.

Creamed Mashed Potatoes
Add 6 tablespoons of butter and 2/3 to 3/4 cup heavy cream to the mashed potato. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add nutmeg to taste and mix until smooth and creamy.