AUTUMN IS FOR caramelisation. It’s for braising, stewing and roasting. It’s for the Maillard reaction. It’s about slow cooking on cold days. It’s about dusting off the cast iron pot, roasting root vegetables and sauteeing mushrooms. Autumn is one of the best times of year for people who love food and cooking.

Even if you don’t love cooking, you can access all of the above culinary wistfulness by learning how to roast a chicken and serve up a roast supper. Perhaps the trickiest thing about a roast dinner – and this counts for Christmas dinner, too – is managing the timing of getting of the components of meat, vegetables and gravy ready, hot and served all at the same time. It’s one of the reasons, perhaps, why this dinner has been known to spark family rows – the cook is often under the duress of time, which we all know is one of life’s greatest stressors.

Nonetheless, a roast dinner is up there with the ultimate comfort food. And once you’ve mastered a roast chicken you can expand your expertise to encompass roast beef, duck, fish and game. 

In my seasoned experience, the better quality your chicken is the better it will taste so choose accordingly. Keep it simple with lemon, garlic and rosemary but once you’ve mastered the cooking process and the timing of the elements, you can experiment with flavours. One of my favourites is a soy, honey and ginger marinade and another is a coating of za’atar.

The roast chicken below is designed for newcomers to the kitchen. Instead of classic roast potatoes – undoubtedly one of the tastiest things in the universe – this recipe is a one-pan treat. It simplifies the process a bit, by reducing the need for different timings or the use of multiple pots and pans. The vegetables cook alongside the chicken which gives them extra juicy flavour. You will need a good big roasting pan to fit everything in.

And a final word on chicken stock. Feel free to use chicken stock from a cube for the recipes below but once you’ve mastered your roast chicken supper, you might want to add the process of making your own chicken stock because it is gloriously easy. When you’ve had your roast dinner and your chicken has cooled enough for you to remove the leftover chicken from the carcass, pop the carcass into a large pot of water.

Add a few bits of leftover vegetables – carrots and onions are good – and a handful of whatever fresh herbs you might have to hand. Season with salt and pepper and then bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for about two hours until the water becomes stock. Simple! Strain the stock into tupperware, discarding the carcass and vegetables, and store for up to three days in the fridge or a few weeks in the freezer.

Shutterstock / leonori Shutterstock / leonori / leonori

Simple Roast Chicken
Serves 2 with chicken leftovers

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 8 baby potatoes
• 3 carrots
• 1 whole head of garlic
• 1 lemon
• Fresh rosemary
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil

For the gravy: 

• 250ml chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon plain flour

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200c/fan 180c/gas mark 6.
2. Meanwhile, pop your raw chicken in a very large roasting tray, the biggest one you have that can fit in your oven. Cut off any string or bits that might be tied around the legs.
3. Place the baby potatoes, unpeeled and whole, around the chicken.
4. Peel and slice the carrots in half. Quarter them too if they’re particularly large. Add them into the roasting tray around the chicken.
5. Slice the whole head of garlic in half. The bottom half will stay together at the root – nestle this next to the potatoes and carrots. Leave the skin on. The other half of the garlic head will separate into cloves a bit. Just throw the whole lot of them in the roasting dish, skin on and all.
6. Slice the lemon in half. Squeeze one half of the lemon juice over the chicken and veg and then put the leftover skin bit in the roasting tray too. Stick the other half of the lemon up the chicken’s butt. It won’t mind – it’s dead!
7. Place the fresh rosemary into the tray with the veg. Sprinkle everything really generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle a good glug of olive oil over everything.
8. Roast in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven. Check that the chicken is cooked by piercing it with a sharp knife. If the juices run clear, it’s cooked.
10. Remove the chicken from the roasting tray and let it rest for 20 minutes. This helps it finish off cooking.
11. Meanwhile, get those veggies into a smaller tray. Lower the heat way down in the oven and pop the veggies back in to keep them warm.
12. While the chicken rests, make the gravy. Place your roasting tray which had the chicken in it over a really low heat on the hob. Stir in the flour and mix it really well until you have a brown, sandy paste. Now gradually pour in the stock, stirring all the time, until you have your gravy. Let it simmer for about two minutes, using a wooden spoon to scrape all the yummy sticky bits from the bottom of the tray. Now strain the gravy into a serving boat.
13. Carve the bird, serve with the veggies and the gravy, and marvel in your amazingness as a human being. 

The Leftovers

Shutterstock / oatakoi Shutterstock / oatakoi / oatakoi

Aoife’s Spicy Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 small white onion, peeled and finely sliced into half moons shapes
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely diced
• 2 tsp of dried chilli flakes
• 1 tsp of coriander seeds (or ground)
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds (or ground)
• 1 tsp of whole peppercorns (or ground)
• 1 tsp of ground ginger powder
• 2 tsp of turmeric
• 1 x 400ml can of coconut milk
• About 400ml of chicken stock
• 1 tsp of kaffir lime leaves (or the juice of 1 lime)
• Leftover roast chicken
• 4 portions of Thai or ramen noodles
• Large handful of kale leaves
• Fresh coriander, spring onions and fresh red chillis to serve

Method

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large soup pot over a medium heat. Gently fry the onions for about ten minutes until softened but not burnt.
2. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook over a gentle heat for about three minutes, just until the garlic starts to smell lovely.
3. Meanwhile, pop your coriander seeds, cumin seeds and whole peppercorns in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Bash until nicely ground. You can use ready ground spices here, too, but the flavour is always nice from freshly ground. Add these spices to the onions and garlic, adding a little drop of vegetable oil if you think it’s a little too dry. Mix really well and allow to fry for a minute.
4. Add the ginger powder and turmeric to the onions, and mix really well. Dry fry for about two or three minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the coconut milk and stir into the spicy onions. Add the chicken stock and bring to a healthy simmer. Let it bubble away for 15 or 20 minutes, to let it reduce and thicken up.
6. When you’re happy with the consistency of the soup base, add your chunks of leftover chicken and allow them to heat through.
7. When you’re ready to serve, make the noodles in a different saucepan (otherwise the starch from the noodles will release into the soup and not in a good way) following the packet’s instructions. Usually they take around 3 or 4 minutes in boiling hot water. Strain.
8. Add a large handful of kale to the soup pot and allow to wilt in the hot soup for a few minutes.
9. Divide the cooked noodles between your serving bowls. Ladle the soup on top of the noodles and serving topped with a sprinkling of fresh coriander, sliced spring onions and fresh chillis.
   

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