Perfectly Roast chicken

Achieving the perfect roast, super juicy, crispy golden skin chicken is a problem for many. I have been asked every single time I prepare a roast chicken for guests, YUM how come it is so juicy. Even last night when I had my friends over for a game of mah-jong, they asked me the same question.

It is easy to achieve a dry roast chicken but, if you follow my technique, you will find it so easy and simple to produce a perfectly juicy bird instead.

You would need to follow my guidelines below:

1. I prefer to use the legs as they are naturally juicy.

2. If you want to roast, a whole chicken opt for a smaller chicken weighing from 1 to 1 ½ Kg. The surface area is lower so the chicken will cook faster and evenly.

3. Place the meat on the counter and let reach room temperature before prepping it.

4. Pat dry the skin of the chicken well and season with natural salt and any other spices. This will ensure a crispy skin at the end of the roasting time.

5. As a guideline for roasting birds allow 10 minutes then 20 minutes for every ½ KG.

6. A fan assisted oven secures best results.

7. Preheat the oven to 200 C before placing the chicken.

8. Never cover the baking dish with foil.

9. Do not be tempted to open the oven while the chicken is roasting.

10. When the set time is finished check that the juices run clear if in doubt by inserting the tip of a knife blade into the thickest part, if the juices run clear it is cooked.

11. Cover the cooked chicken with aluminium foil for 10 minutes as this will allow the juices that bubbled to the surface to make their way down to the flesh.

12. Relax, kick back and enjoy the juiciest roast chicken.

This dish is diabetic friendly as long as you follow the carbohydrate consumption guidelines set by your doctor.

Servings: 2-3

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Start to finish: 55 minutes

baking: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

1 Kilogram chicken legs, or 1 kg chicken

1 10 garlic clove

salt

pepper

1 rosemary sprig

2 tablespoons olive oil

Method:

· Preheat oven to 200 c fan setting

· Cut off excess fat of the chicken legs and pat dry well.

· Place the legs in an ovenproof dish, season with salt and pepper and place the garlic clove skin on and rosemary.

· Drizzle with the olive oil and mix.

· Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 45 to 50 minutes for medium size legs or 60 minutes for bigger size legs.

· To check if a chicken is cooked insert the blade of the knife into the thickest part of the chicken and if the juices run clear it is cooked.

Tips:

· Follow my guidelines above for best results.

· Use any spices, rubs and herbs you like.

Per Serving: 540 Calories; 39g Fat (65.7% calories from fat); 44g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 202mg Cholesterol; 193mg Sodium.