Kitchen Greatest Hits: Roast Chicken
Nigel Barden shares his favourite recipes
Last updated 7th Oct 2021
Chef Nigel Barden joins Simon Mayo's Drivetime Show to create delicious recipes for Kitchen Greatest Hits.
Every Thursday, Nigel offers a new recipe for you to try! Click here to see all the recipes so far.
Roast Chicken
In this week's Kitchen Greatest Hits, Nigel Barden makes a classic Roast Chicken dish, with a buttery, crispy skin. He said:
'The recipe I’ve opted for is 25 years old and from the aptly named book ‘Roast Chicken and Other Stories’ by chef Simon Hopkinson and Lindsey Bareham. Roast chicken is Simon Hopkinson’s favourite dish and it’s also my number one of all the roasts.
The beauty of this recipe is the simplicity - it has 3 key ingredients, other than the chook, which are butter, lemon & garlic, alongside thyme or tarragon or both. Basting during the hour of roasting is crucial so the skin that’s been smeared in butter and lemon juice turns golden brown & beautifully crisp. The buttery lemony, chicken juices that gather in the bottom of the roasting tin make for the most perfect of gravies and there’s no need to add extra fat, flour or even vegetable cooking water.'
Ingredients
110g/4oz good butter (Nigel used unsalted), at room temperature
1.8kg/4lb free-range chicken
Salt and pepper
1 lemon
Several sprigs of thyme/tarragon
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed 1kg stewing steak/beef shin – chopped into 1" cubes
Method
Preheat the oven to 450˚F/230˚C/Gas Mark 8. Smear the butter all over the bird. Put the chicken in a roasting tin that will accommodate it with room to spare. Season liberally with salt and pepper and squeeze over the juice of the lemon. Put the herbs and garlic inside the cavity, together with the squeezed out lemon halves - this will add a fragrant lemony flavour to the finished dish.
Roast the chicken in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Baste, then turn the oven temperature down to 375˚F/190˚C/Gas Mark 5 and roast for a further 30-45 minutes with further occasional basting. The bird should be golden-brown with a crisp skin and have buttery, lemony juices of a nut-brown colour in the bottom of the tin.
Turn off the oven and leave the chicken to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. This enables the flesh to relax gently, retaining the juices in the mat and ensuring easy, trouble-free carving and a moist bird.
Carve the bird to suit yourself; I like to do it in the roasting tin. I see no point in making a gravy in that old-fashioned English way with the roasting fat, flour and vegetable cooking water. With this roasting method, what you end up with in the tin is an amalgamation of butter, lemon juice and chicken juices. It’s perfect homogenisation of fats and liquids.
All it needs is a light whisk or a stir, and you have the most wonderful ‘gravy’ imaginable. To add extra flavour, scoop the garlic and herbs out of the gravy cavity, stir them into the gravy and heat through; strain before serving.
Another idea, popular with the Italians, is sometimes known as ‘wet-roasting’. Pour some white wine or a little chicken stock, or both, or even just water around the bottom of the tin at the beginning of cooking. This will produce more of the sauce and can be enriched further to produce altogether different results.
For example, you can add chopped tomatoes, diced bacon, cream, endless different herbs, mushrooms, spring vegetables, spices-particularly saffron and ginger or anything else that you fancy. For me, the simple roast bird is the best, but it is useful to know how much further you can go when roasting a chicken.
Take a look at all of Nigel's Kitchen's Greatest Hits:
Turkey Curry Pie
Try this Turkey Curry Pie to make the most of your Christmas dinner leftovers. The recipe includes instructions for how to make your own curry paste, shortcrust pastry and chicken stock. The recipe comes from the cookbook River Cottage Love your Leftovers (Bloomsbury) by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
Click more to read the full Turkey Curry Pie Recipe.
Coronation Chicken
Nigel Barden chose this fantastic Coronation Chicken recipe from The Hairy Bikers' Complete Mums Know Best, as he loves the combination of flavours which really sets this dish apart.
Scallop, ‘Nduja & Sweetcorn Salad
Nigel Barden has made a delicious Scallop, 'Nduja & Sweetcorn Salad from Salads Are More Than Leaves (Hamlyn Books) by chef and food writer Elena Silcock.
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Golden Lamb Cutlets with Lemon Courgette Salad
Nigel Barden shares a brilliant recipe for Golden Lamb Cutlets paired with a Lemon Courgette Salad. The amazing dish comes from The Spanish Home Kitchen (Hardie Grant) by José Pizarro.
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Stuffed Peppers with Breadcrumbs, Anchovies, Olives and Capers
Nigel Barden has shared a quick and easy recipe for Stuffed Peppers with Breadcrumbs, Anchovies, Olives and Capers. This tasty dish comes from Med: A Cookbook (Ebury) by Claudia Roden.
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Beef Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Nigel Barden has shared a great Beef Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce recipe from MEAT London (Cloake Press) by chef and butcher Paul Grout.
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Roasted Spiced Cauliflower
Nigel Barden has shared a great Roasted Spiced Cauliflower recipe from No Fuss Suppers by Caroline Marson of Wild Ivy Retreats.
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Rhubarb & Lemon Thyme Custard Trifle
This tasty dessert is perfect for warm summer evenings, and uses fresh custard, rhubarb jelly, and Swiss roll sponge. Nigel has shared this Rhubarb & Lemon Thyme Custard Trifle from Happy Cooking (Ebury Press) by Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown.
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Lasagne all’Emiliana
Nigel Barden has shared a great recipe for a hearty Lasagne all'Emiliana dish. This simple yet tasty meal comes from 'My Italian Family Cookbook: Recipes from three generations' (Simon & Schuster) by Lawrence Dallaglio.
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Goan Pork Vindaloo with Potatoes
Nigel Barden has shared a brilliant recipe for Goan Pork Vindaloo with Potatoes. This spicy curry comes from Madhur Jaffrey's Curry Nation (Ebury/Random House) by Madhur Jaffrey.
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Pollo Alla Cacciatora
Nigel chose this tasty Pollo Alla Cacciatora dish from chef Gennaro Contaldo's book Slow Cook Italian (Pavilion/Harper Collins) as it is simple yet full of flavour.
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Chocolate Mousse
Nigel thinks this tasty Chocolate Mousse is a real winner! This great recipe comes from The Go-To Cookbook (Austin Macauley) by Helen Hume.
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Nut Roast with Squash, Quinoa, Chestnuts & Spiced Tomato Sauce
Nigel Barden has shared his favourite Nut Roast recipe. This recipe comes from Jamie Oliver's Christmas Cookbook (Penguin Books), and comes with a Spicy Tomato Sauce for a bit of a kick.
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Ricotta Meatballs with Polenta
Nigel Barden has shared a brilliant recipe for Ricotta Meatballs with Polenta. This traditional Sicilian recipe comes from Clodagh's Weeknight Kitchen (Kyle Books) by chef Clodagh McKenna.
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Turmeric ‘Mamak Style’ Fried Chicken
Nigel shares his favourite recipe for tasty Mamak Style Chicken by Ping Coombes from 'Malaysia' (Seven Dials).
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Fishcakes with Parsley Sauce
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Coq au Vin
Nigel Barden shares the Coq au Vin recipe he always comes back to! This recipe comes from Tamasin's Kitchen Bible (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) by Tamasin Day-Lewis.
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Beer/Stout Fondue
Nigel Barden made an indulgent Beer/Stout Fondue - the perfect dish for dipping chopped vegetables and crusty bread! This recipe comes from Guilty Pleasures: Your Favourite Sweet and Savoury Indulgences in 130 Easy Recipes by chef Matt Tebbutt (Quercus).
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Sharrow Bay Sticky Toffee Pudding
Nigel Barden made a mouth-watering Sharrow Bay Sticky Toffee Pudding from Bilton Basics (RMC Books) by chef Tim Bilton. This dessert is easy to make and gives great results!
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Butternut Squash & Coconut Curry
Nigel shares his favourite recipe for Butternut Squash & Coconut Curry! Click more to read the recipe.
Mum’s Toad in the Hole
Nigel's going back to his childhood with a five ingredient Toad in the Hole by James Tanner.
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Crispy Pork Belly Bacon, Egg Fried Rice and Burnt Chilli Sauce
Nigel shares his favourite recipe for Crispy Pork Belly Bacon, Egg Fried Rice and Burnt Chilli Sauce! This recipe is taken from Sebby Holmes' 'Cook Thai' (Kyle Books).
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Barbecued Corn on the Cob, 2 ways
Nigel shares his favourite recipe for Barbecued Corn on the Cob... 2 ways!
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Coffee and Walnut Cake
This fantastic recipe from 'Oats in the North, Wheat from the South' (Murdoch Books) by Regula Ysewijn is a favourite of Nigel's.
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Red and Green Chilli Curry
Nigel shares this great recipe for Red and Green Chilli Curry!
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Korean Barbecue Beef
Nigel shares his favourite recipe for Korean Barbecued Beef!
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Fried Mackerel in Oatmeal with Bacon
Nigel shares his favourite recipe for Fried Mackerel in Oatmeal with Bacon by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Nick Fisher from The River Cottage Fish Book (Bloomsbury).
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Slow-Roasted Shoulder of Lamb, with Harissa & Chickpeas
Nigel shares his favourite recipe for Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder from Raymond Blanc's Simply Raymond: Recipes from Home (Headline Home).
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Caramelised Onion and Shallot Tart
Nigel shares his favourite recipe for Caramelised Onion and Shallot Tart by Rob Howell from Root (Bloomsbury Absolute).
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Lemon Meringue Pie
Nigel shares his favourite recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie by Mary Berry. This sweet treat is quick and easy!
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Pad Thai with Prawns
Nigel's favourite recipe for Pad Thai with Prawns! This tasty dish is from the School of Wok.
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Caesar Salad
Nigel shares his favourite recipe for Caesar Salad from Raymond Blanc from Simply Raymond: Recipes from Home.
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Beer-braised Smoky Pork Ribs
Nigel shares this recipe from 'Chasing Smoke: Cooking over fire around the Levant' for Beer-braised Smoky Pork Ribs.
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Cajun Chicken and Fries
This week, Nigel prepares tasty Cajun Chicken and Fries! This brilliant recipe is by Sunil Vijayakar via BBC Food.
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Leek & Cheese Pudding with Pan Fried Beetroot
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Baked Alaska
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Goan Fish Curry
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Asparagus and Sugar Snap Pea Risotto
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Bubble and Squeak
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Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Nigel shares his recipe for delicious Banana Cake with Peanut Butter frosting! This beautiful recipe is taken from Stirring Slowly: Recipes to Restore and Revive by Georgina Hayden.
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Thai Green Curry
Nigel's recipe for the greatest Thai Green Curry! This warming curry is by Jean-Pierre Gabriel from his book Thailand: The Cookbook (Phaidon).
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Steak and Ale Pie
Nigel shares his recipe for the greatest Steak and Ale Pie! This tasty pie is from Jon Finch's book Beer Craft (Sphere Books).
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Tiramisù
Nigel shares his recipe for Tiramisu by Rachel Roddy from Five Quarters: Recipes and Notes from a Kitchen in Rome!
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Roast Chicken
Nigel Barden shares a great Roast Chicken recipe from Roast chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson with Lindsey Bareham (Ebury Press).
Click more to read the recipe.
Apple Crumble
Nigel Barden shares a brilliant Apple Crumble recipe from The Flexible Family Cookbook by Jo Pratt.
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Fish Pie
Nigel makes his favourite Fish Pie recipe from The River Cottage Fish Book (Bloomsbury) by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Nick Fisher.
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Cauliflower Cheese
Nigel shares his favourite recipe for Cauliflower Cheese from Clarissa's Comfort Food (Kyle Books) by Clarissa Dickson Wright. The recipe is simple to follow and the final dish is tasty and comforting.
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Giant Yorkshire Pudding with Onion Gravy
Nigel shares this wonderful recipe for Giant Yorkshire Pudding with Onion Gravy, adapted by Elaine Lemm from The Great Book of Yorkshire Pudding (Great Northern Books).
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Aubergines Baked with Tomatoes & Cheese (Parmigiana di Melanzane)
Nigel Barden shares his favourite recipe for Aubergines Baked with Tomatoes & Cheese (also known as Parmigiana di Melanzane). The delicious recipe comes from The Food of Italy (Square Peg) by Claudia Roden.
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Glazed Ham with Clementines, Cloves and Parsley Sauce
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Stuffed Squash with Vegan Gravy
Nigel Barden makes a deliciously festive Stuffed Squash with Vegan Gravy. This great dish is suitable for everyone, and comes from Christmas at River Cottage written by Lucy Brazier, with notes and recipes from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Bloomsbury).
Click more to read the recipe.
New Year's Day Turkey Curry
Nigel Barden got in the Christmas spirit with this delicious New Year's Eve Turkey Curry from Christmas at River Cottage by Lucy Brazier, with notes and recipes from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Bloomsbury).
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Roast Rib of Beef with Yorkshire Pudding
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Cavolo Nero and Split Pea Biryani
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Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks with Tamarind and Dates
Nigel Barden has cooked up a warming dish of Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks with Tamarind and Dates from Ali Bilton Cooks by chef Ali Bilton.
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Spiced Shepherd’s Pie (Kheema Purr Batata)
Nigel made a flavourful Spiced Shepherd's Pie (Kheema Purr Batata) from the book Simple Spice: 120 easy Indian recipes with just 10 spices, written by chef Cyrus Todiwala and published by Mitchell Beazley.
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Five-spiced Pork Belly with Spring Onions & Sweet Soy
To celebrate Chinese New Year on 1st February, Nigel made a tasty Five-spiced Pork Belly with Spring Onions & Sweet Soy from The Dumpling Sisters Cookbook: 100 Favourite Recipes from a Chinese Family Kitchen. The cookbook is written by sisters Amy and Julie Zhang, and published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
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