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Roast chicken like chef Marcus Bean
When it comes to roasting a chicken, I like to lock in all the flavour by pot-roasting it. I start by seasoning the chicken inside and out, then brush all over with melted butter or olive oil. Then I heat a large casserole dish, put the chicken in the dish breast-side down and lightly brown the chicken on all sides for 15-20 mins, then remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same dish with the fat from the chicken, I then fry about 100g smoked bacon lardons, 10 sliced mushrooms, 10 crushed garlic cloves and 5 thyme sprigs, stirring together and cooking for 10 mins until the bacon is crisp and the mushrooms, softened. I then deglaze the pan with 400ml white wine and 600ml chicken stock, boil the liquid down by half, then add a couple of tablespoons of tomato purée, a pinch of sugar and season again. I then return the chicken to the pan breast-side up. Bring the sauce around it to the boil, then simmer, cover, and put the pan in the oven at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and cook for 60 mins.