Serves 6-8 depending on the size of the chicken (but we are making this a super festive so consider going big!)
For Roast Chicken:
1 whole large chicken, room temperature, trimmed of additional fat
1 sprig fresh rosemary
½ a small lemon
¼ – ½ a small onion
½- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
For Honey Bourbon Glaze:
240 ml (1 cup) bourbon
340g (1 cup) honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
One 3-inch-long strip orange zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 bay leaf
For the roasting tin:
8 medium plums, cut in half, stone removed
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Heat oven to 180℃ (350℉). Place chicken breast side up, in a large roasting tin, with plenty of room to spare around it. Place the rosemary sprig, lemon, and onion in the large cavity, season the outside of the chicken all over with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Gauge how long it will take for your chicken to cook. How to do this? Depending on the size of the chicken at 180℃ (350℉) it will take a small chicken (1 kilo (2.2 lb) about an hour while a larger chicken (2.5 kilo (6 lb) close to 2 hours to cook. The internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken though should read 74℃ (165℉).
- As soon as the chicken is in the oven, make the bourbon glaze, and have it ready for the next step. To make the glaze; Combine in a small saucepan, simmer over medium heat until the mixture has reduced by half and coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove the orange zest and bay leaf before using, to baste the chicken.
- 10 minutes before the end of the estimated cooking time, place the plums and rosemary in the roasting tin along with the chicken and glaze the chicken and the plums everywhere with ¾ of the prepared glaze. Place back in the oven until cooked through.
