How we roast a chicken

You need:
♥ a chicken
♥ a lemon
♥ a bunch of fresh thyme
♥ dried sage (if you’ve got fresh, go for it)
♥ four to five large cloves of garlic
♥ a tablespoon of honey
♥ olive oil
♥ salt & pepper
If your chicken still has some offal inside it, scrape it all out and wash the chicken inside and out. Preheat your oven to 240°C, wipe the chicken skin dry with a paper towel and season it generously with salt and pepper. Use a knife or fork to stab holes in the lemon (all around so the juice can get out), then shove it into the chicken’s cavity together with the garlic and herbs. Use cotton thread to tie the chicken’s ankles together and then do a loop around the wings to tie them close to the body (this way the bird will keep all its moisture and won’t become rubbery and dry). Sprinkle olive oil all over the chicken and rub the honey across the skin. Give it another pinch (or two) of salt, lower the heat in the oven to 175-180°C and put the bird in. Cooking it will take about and hour to an hour and a half (depending on the size of your bird).

Your chicken is cooked when you pierce it close to a wing and the liquid that runs out is clear.

The chicken is best served with Basmati rice. If you want a delicious, creamy (and easy-to-make) sauce to go with it, you need:

♥ 2 dl of heavy cream
♥ a teaspoon of curry powder
♥ half a teaspoon of honey
♥ salt and pepper
♥ chicken stock (or better yet: whatever juice was left at the bottom of the pan you cooked your chicken in)

If you’re using the fluid from the chicken roast, sift it into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil and whisk in the cream (if not, start by heating the cream and then add stock until it’s salty and flavorful enough; no more salt will be required). Then add the honey, curry and season with salt and pepper. Let simmer until the sauce thickens and voilà! You have an absolutely amazing sauce to go with your meal.