This roast chicken with Yorkshire puddings recipe puts the stuffing flavours in the batter: sage and onion Yorkshires, a buttered lemon bird and gravy.
Serves4
Hands-on40 min
Oven1 hour 50 min
DifficultyEasy
The first cold Sunday of autumn is when the roast comes back into its own, and this one keeps the chicken classic and puts the twist in the Yorkshires: sage and onion, the flavours of the stuffing, baked into the batter so every pudding tastes of Sunday lunch.
Why it’s so good: A buttered lemon and thyme chicken gives clear, savoury juices for a proper gravy, and the Yorkshires rise while the bird rests, so the timings look after themselves. Softened onion and chopped sage turn a plain batter into something that stands up to the gravy on its own.
Make it easy: Make the batter as soon as the chicken goes in so it has a long rest, and use a muffin tin rather than a Yorkshire tin if that is what you have.
Method
Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put the onion quarters and carrots in the middle of a roasting tin. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper, rub the butter all over the skin and season generously, then push the lemon halves and thyme into the cavity. Sit the chicken on the vegetables and roast for 1 hour 25 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and the juices run clear with no pink meat when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh.
While the chicken roasts, heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat and cook the chopped onion for 8-10 minutes until soft and golden. Tip into a bowl to cool. Whisk the flour, eggs and milk with a pinch of salt until smooth, stir in the cooled onion and the sage, and leave the batter to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Lift the cooked chicken onto a board or warm plate, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest while the Yorkshires bake. Turn the oven up to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Divide the remaining oil between the holes of the tin and heat in the oven for 5 minutes until smoking hot.
Give the batter a quick stir, then pour it into the hot tin, filling each hole about two-thirds full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, without opening the door, until the puddings are tall, crisp and deep golden.
Meanwhile, make the gravy. Set the roasting tin over a medium heat on the hob, spoon off all but 2 tbsp of the fat and stir the flour into the juices and vegetables for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the stock, scraping up the sticky bits from the tin, then simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Strain into a warm jug, pressing the vegetables with a spoon, and season to taste.
Carve the chicken and serve with the Yorkshires straight from the oven and the gravy, adding any resting juices from the board to the jug.
Nutrition
Per serving (Serves 4)
Calories
845kcals
Fat
53g (18g saturated)
Protein
59g
Carbohydrates
30g (4.4g sugars)
Fibre
1.9g
Salt
1.5g
Quick wins, tips & make ahead
Timing: allow 20 minutes per 500g plus 20 minutes at this temperature for a different size of chicken, and always check the thigh juices run clear. A rest of 25-30 minutes while the Yorkshires bake keeps the meat juicy and gives you time to make the gravy.
Batter: it can be made up to a day ahead and chilled; bring it back to room temperature before baking. Grate the onion instead of chopping it if you prefer a smoother pudding. The fat must be smoking hot when the batter goes in, and the door must stay shut, or the puddings will not rise.
Gravy: for a deeper flavour, add a splash of white wine or dry cider to the tin and let it bubble before the stock goes in. Leave it unstrained for a rustic gravy with the soft onion and carrot in it.
Roast potatoes can share the oven on the shelf below for the last 50 minutes of the chicken's time, and buttered greens or glazed carrots finish the plate. The carcass makes a good stock for the week's soup.
