Rosemary and Lemon Roast Chicken

I haven't made roast chicken in a very long time, I think I worked out it was about 3 years. Living on my own means that I usually wouldn't bother but I really wanted the leftovers this time. After going to Vietnam and seeing literal nose to tail eating, I was inspired. So I bought a reduced 2kg chicken just for me and set about making lots of yummy things out of the leftovers.

My first leftover dish was the Banh Mi on Sunday, swiftly followed by a Chinese Chicken Salad, then a Greek Lemon Chicken Soup, which was stunning, I didn't take a picture but will definitely be making this again. Then my favourite sandwich; chicken, mayo and cucumber yesterday and tonight I am having Chicken, Chickpea and Spinach Coconut Curry. I have also frozen two portions and I made stock out of the bones. So all in all I got 11 portions out of my £9.71 chicken! Not bad value.

Rosemary and Lemon Roast Chicken (from Good Food Magazine February 2011)
(Serves 2)

20g pack rosemary
3 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 lemon, zested and then halved
1¼kg whole chicken

Pre-heat the oven to 190C. Very finely chop 2 sprigs of the rosemary and mix with 2 tbsp of the butter and the garlic and lemon zest.

Gently lift the skin away from the breast of the chicken and press the butter underneath on both sides. Rub the remaining butter on the outside of the chicken. Stuff the lemon inside the cavity.

Oil a roasting tin and sit the chicken in the tin. Season, then scatter with the remaining rosemary leaves. Roast the chicken for 1 hr 10 mins or until the juices run clear, then remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 mins before carving. Serve.