… sometimes, when you’re feeling super-lazy and the best you can do is stay in your pyjamas all day, what you really want is for someone else to come into the house and cook a glorious roast chicken for you… and then clean the kitchen afterwards whilst you lay groaning on the sofa rubbing your belly… this rarely happens and short of starting my own ‘meals on wheels for the bone idle’… which, believe me, I have thought long and hard about… I don’t think will ever happen…
… I do however, have a very lazy alternative, which is this 10 hour roast chicken… for which I cannot take the credit, it comes from Gwyneth Paltrow and I have blogged about its genius before… and planned correctly you can have an amazing plate of glorious, moist, fall-off-the-bone chicken… you will NOT believe how much tasty juice comes out of one bird… and all you’ve really done is turned the oven on… oh and get your home-slave to make the vegetables…
10 Hour Roast Chicken
this is my ultra-slow Sunday dish, going out to the wonderfully succulent Karen who does a regular Slow Sunday feature on her blog Lavender and Lovage… my trick with this dish is to do all the prep the night before because then all you have to do is wake up, shuffle downstairs, switch the oven on, bung the chicken in and go back to bed…
1 regular, free-range chicken
1 onion – roughly chopped
1 stick of celery – roughly chopped
a handful of fresh thyme
salt and pepper
– boil the kettle and then once boiled, place the chicken into the sink and pour the water over it
– place the chicken into an roasting dish, scatter the veg around and within, place the thyme inside the cavity, season and then wrap tightly in foil.
– place in your oven at 110C for nice and a half hours
– after this time, take the foil off, turn the oven up to 180C and brown the chicken… you will not regret this method, if only for the pint or so of the most wonderful juicy gravy…
eat and of course, enjoy!
That does look lovely. I am interested in trying this.
One question: Why pouring the boiling water over the chicken in the sink?
Sorry, I understand why you need to put it in the sink! I mean why do you need to pour the boiling water over the chicken? What does it do?
OH yes……give me some of that sexy fall-of-the-bone chook, that is JUST so lush looking and I adore roast chicken. I often think we cook chicken too quickly and see the benefits of a l-o-n-g slow cooking time….this DEFINITELY on my list to cook one Sunday and I will let you know when I have done it.
Thanks for adding this to Slow Sunday, it's what it is all about!
Karen
This sounds fab! I might try it next weekend when I have family coming. I can do all the prep beforehand and then forget about it until its time to do the veggies!
@charlene… I'm not entirely sure, its just something my mum always did… I think it makes the skin go tight and crispy!
Not a dish to cook for Sunday LUNCH then – unless you want to get up exceptionally early!
I love things that have been cooked slowly – casseroles and hotpots and suchlike. My favourite way of doing potatoes is the Boulangere way. Just needs planning and patience.
That chicken is epic!
Great post! I use to cook for about 5 hours in clay pot, but 10 hours are even better, My boys would love it!
Hi Dom,
I meant to ask this before… does the size of the chicken make a difference to cooking time?
If so, what size chicken are you using for these timings and any suggestions on how to adjust?
And if not, obviously, no need for timings!
🙂
How intriguing! Reminds me of when I was small and my mum used to cook the turkey overnight! 🙂
I'm just imagining how much gravy you'd get from all those delicious juices – I'd have my roasties floating in it!!!
One day, I'm going to make this. But I always seem to need to use my oven more than once in a day!
Looks perfect for the Aga. I love the idea of waking up to lunch already cooked. Can't wait to try!
I love the idea of cooking chicken for a long time and nicely is alway beneficial! Sorry couldn't resist.
I bet you went right for the thighs. Sunday chicken dinners are awesome.
How could you wait for ten hours with the smell of roasting chicken wafting through the house all day…I couldn't…this sounds delicious…mmm…
Love these kinds of meals – for we, the bone idle on weekends, a meal like this is a Godsend … and the leftovers make for a couple more knoshes! Excellent, Dom!
I really like it when meat is tender enough to fall off the bone, so I LOVE slow cooking chicken. it usually goes into the slow cooker though, but i'll try it in the oven next time!
I really like it when meat is tender enough to fall off the bone, so I LOVE slow cooking chicken. it usually goes into the slow cooker though, but i'll try it in the oven next time!
Ohhhh geez, I'm drooling. Looking forward to trying this recipe. Gwyneth Paltrow's so talented not only an actor and singer but a cook as well! Thank you for sharing : )
A “regular” chicken. Well, I suppose one would not want to be cooking a constipated one now would one? Roughly chopped onion and celery? I just like to slap mine around a bit.
Forgot to mention that my dog gets me up between 5 and 5:30 am. So I am golden with getting the chicken in the oven early.
Ohh, what a beauty! I know you rave about this before and don't worry, I'll definitely give this a go.
thumbs up to gwineth! lovely idea 🙂
I have come back to re-read this as least 4 times. My next visit to the market will include the acquisition of a bird.
This sounds great perfect for the no nonsense Sunday lunch. Just to check – is that nine and a half hours? GG
Yum. I think the chicken sandwich the next day would be a treat as well.
Have I ever told you that we nearly moved into a house on Gwynnie's street? Then the police came and said we weren't thin, rich or musical enough. Oh well.
Too hot to have the oven on all day here at the mo, but in winter this will be PERFECT!
This looks ace. I've bookmarked it so I can give it a go at some stage.
The worst thing with these long slow cooks is the smell that wafts through the house for such long time. Normally drives me crazy and so hungry. 😉
Thanks for the inspiration!
// Mike