Roast Chicken with Honey Roast Parsnips

The British really love their weekend roasts and my husband is no exception to the rule.  Now I had never really grown up a roast girl.  We ate a lot of Mediterranean food growing up, a lot of asian, but never really did the whole roast meat with potato and veg thing.   I'll admit a giant slab of meat scares me a little bit - what if its too tough or how does it not dry out?  Plus I'm not a hugeeee red meat lover, its more of a special occasion kind of thing for me.

But in my quest to be a good wife I felt compelled to provide the hubby with something close enough to a roast to satisfy his craving, while at the same time keeping the red meat to a minimum.  The solution was simple - a roast chicken!  Its healthier, you can get a couple of meals out of 1 chicken, and you can make a delicious stock out of the carcass.  Paired with some roast sweet potato and parsnips you've got a classic meat, potato, veg combo but for way less the fat!  Bikini season of 2012 - here I come!

Now the trick to a good roast chicken is baste, baste, and baste some more.  Liquid is your friend, it adds flavor and keeps the bird from drying out.  Over the years I've tried a couple of different methods of getting a moist bird, but the one we tried last night was perfect; crisp skin, and deliciously moist meat.  In terms of seasoning I went with a BBQ flavor, but you could really do anything.  A bit of lemon juice and garlic is fresh and lovely, or rub a little miso paste on the skin to add a little asian flair.  That the beauty of chicken - it can take almost any flavor which means you never get bored of it!

BBQ Roast Chicken
1 whole chicken
Olive oil
Dry BBQ rub (I used Nando's bbq rub)
Salt
Pepper
1-2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 cup boiling water

1.  Preheat your oven to 350F (180C)
2.  Rinse your chicken and pat it dry, seasoning the cavity with salt and pepper and place in a shallow roasting tray.
3.  Rub a little olive oil all over the skin of the bird - dont forget to get the wings and the legs as well
4.  Gently slide your fingers under the skin and loosen the skin from the flesh.  Rub the BBQ seasoning all over the surface of the bird being sure to rub some under the skin.
5.  Put the chicken in the oven and cook for 15 minutes
6.  Add the butter and the water to the pan.  Cook for a further 15 minutes.
7.  Continue to cook the bird for the recommended length of time (it will vary depending on the size of the bird) being sure to baste every 15 minutes.  Mine took about 1 hour 45 minutes.  The bird is done when the juices run clear.
8.  Remove from the oven and allow the bird to rest for at least 10-15 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Honey Roast Parsnips
Parsnips
Honey
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Thyme

1.  Preheat the oven to 350F (180C)
2.  Trim the ends off of the parsnips and cut them into strips
3.  In a bowl coat the parsnips with about a tablespoon of olive oil, and a tablespoon of honey.  Season with the salt, pepper and thyme.  Really get your hands in there and make sure every surface of the parsnip is coated!
4.  Put the parsnips on a foil (or parchment) lined baking sheet and bake until golden and tender, about 40 minutes.