We don’t eat meat every evening. For various reasons, we have consciously chosen to eat less meat. Some of those reasons include: good quality meat isn’t readily available everywhere; meat from a dependable, smaller supplier tends to be on the higher end of pricing; and the negative environmental impact of a diet high in meat and animal products. The results of eating meat less frequently have been good. It has been a great help for the food budget in a home where we constantly enjoy meals with others. And we enjoy how eating more fruits and vegetables has forced us to become creative with our flavours and meal combinations.
I feel that eating less meat is also partly our little way of trying to be more aware and responsible consumers. Trying to care for our bodies and the planet, we are making choices that are small, but doable. Yes, there are lots of other things we can still work at doing better (fewer coffees in takeout cups, for example), but: little steps in the right direction add up.
Please don’t get me wrong; we do still enjoy eating meat, only, we do so a lot less frequently. When I plan a meaty meal, I make sure that we get a generous amount of the best quality meat I can afford (taking farming practices and farm locations into account, too). I also try to stretch the meat to its full potential. A whole chicken is a perfect example of this.
When I buy a chicken, I will buy a fresh; large; pasture-raised; organic chicken. I will then use it over at least 3 meals. Yes. 3 meals. For a family of 4. Trust me – it is amazing for your food budget! I thought you might find it helpful to see how I make a chicken stretch over a few meals.
The first way I typically prepare a whole chicken is to roast it. And this is my favourite recipe for just that. Sage goes beautifully with chicken, and by layering the garlic-sage butter under the skin of the bird, you ensure a tender, flavoursome and juicy meat. The lemon and thyme are a classic flavour combination with chicken, and using the whole lemon helps to keep the meat moist from the inside. I learnt about this lemon-and-thyme method from Jamie Oliver. The garlic sage butter just adds another layer of complexity to the flavours.
Don’t be put off by the preparation time or method. Once it is done, you leave the chicken in the oven to roast and enjoy the deliciously savoury smells that pervade your kitchen and home. My sister says it smells a bit like my dad’s Christmas turkey. Which is interesting because the only 2 ingredients that overlap are butter and garlic. Both recipes obviously use a generous amount of each of these!
Whenever I prepare a roast chicken with garlic-sage butter, I will always keep the bones and bits of skin that we typically cut off and don’t eat. They make the most amazing homemade chicken stock. Do take a look and give it a try, then use the stock for this slow roasted tomato and red pepper soup. That would already be two meals out of the same roast chicken!
A recipe that leaves you with a tender, moist and very flavoursome meat. It is one I keep coming back to; for both easy family meals and for entertaining guests.
Ingredients
Scale
1 whole chicken (mine is usually approx. 3.5 lbs or 1.5kgs – best quality you can afford)
120g butter (around 1 stick) brought to room temperature, or softened, but not melted.
4 garlic cloves, crushed
15g fresh sage, finely chopped
15g fresh thyme sprigs – left whole
1 lemon, pierced a few times with a fork
Instructions
Mash the butter and garlic together in a small bowl or pestle and mortar. Season with generous amounts of salt and pepper. Add the sage, and combine well.
Using your fingers and the tip of a sharp knife, lift the skin away from the flesh of the chicken, piercing through the thin membrane of skin (if needed) to get all the way underneath.
Gently push the garlic-sage butter (about 1 tablespoon at a time) under the skin and onto the flesh of the chicken. Rub your fingers and the palm of your hands over the outside of the skin to spread the butter mixture evenly. Keep adding butter under the skin, trying to cover most of the chicken. Be careful not to break the skin! It’s best to use your fingers for this.
Insert the thyme leaves, in a bunch, into the cavity of the chicken. Then add the pierced lemon. Close and tie the legs together with a piece of kitchen-string. In the end, it should look something like the photo above.
Roast in a pre-heated oven at 180°C (350F) for 1 hour 30 mins to 1 hour 45 mins. The size of the chicken and your oven settings will influence cooking time. The general rule of thumb is that the chicken is cooked through when a knife is inserted into the fleshiest part (usually around the thigh joint or the breast) and the juices run clear, not pink.
Allow the cooked chicken to rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting it into pieces. Serve with your favourite sides, or look here for inspiration. As far as wines go – your choice of sides would obviously have an influence. But, because of the rich butteriness of the chicken I would go for a dry or off-dry white. Either a Savignon Blanc or an unwooded Chardonnay. A light-bodied red like a Pinot Noir would also go beautifully. Enjoy!
Notes
* If you are looking for some ideas for sides, you could try my wild rice salad with mint and preserved lemon or simply serve with some sweet potato wedges and a green salad. mmm – should I add my coleslaw recipe to the site?
* DON’T throw away what is left of the roast chicken after carving your pieces off! Keep them, with the bits of meat and skin left intact. They make an amazing stock. Need help to see how? Take a look at my chicken stock recipe.
4 thoughts on “Roast Chicken with garlic and sage butter”
This recipe is incredible! You mentioned that you just a whole chicken over 3 meals, the roast, the chicken both, what is the third please?
Thanks so much – your website looks AMAZING!!!
Thanks, Tammy – I was debating whether or not to actually post a recipe for the third. Normally I would take the meat off the bone and either use it for chicken pot pie or chicken-mayo sandwiches for the boys for school; or even chicken soup. Would you like to see a recipe for one of these as an example?
Made this last night and it’s amazing! I also sliced some apples, brushed them with the garlic butter, and popped them into the roasting pan the last hour of cooking. It paired beautifully with the chicken!
This recipe is incredible! You mentioned that you just a whole chicken over 3 meals, the roast, the chicken both, what is the third please?
Thanks so much – your website looks AMAZING!!!
Thanks, Tammy – I was debating whether or not to actually post a recipe for the third. Normally I would take the meat off the bone and either use it for chicken pot pie or chicken-mayo sandwiches for the boys for school; or even chicken soup. Would you like to see a recipe for one of these as an example?
Made this last night and it’s amazing! I also sliced some apples, brushed them with the garlic butter, and popped them into the roasting pan the last hour of cooking. It paired beautifully with the chicken!
Normally get chicken in a ready to roast bag from the supermarket so I don’t have to worry about it being dry but this time they were all out!
I was panicking about what to do; something so simple as a roast chicken can so easily go wrong!
I had no need to worry though, this recipe is perfect and saved the day.
I was nervous there was no mention over covering when cooking but know now I needed to have feared.
100% will be my new go to recipie when I cook a roast for my family
Thank you!!