How to make the perfect Sunday roast

Few things in life are as satisfying as a really good Sunday roast. And luckily, chicken – a roasting tin staple – is one of the leanest, healthiest meats you can eat. Follow the recipe below for flawless fowl.

Ingredients (serves 4)

1.6kg free range or organic whole chicken / 100ml rapeseed oil / Sea salt to taste

To make

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 5.
• Remove the wishbone at the neck end of the chicken with a small, sharp knife – this makes the carving process much easier.
• Brush the chicken all over with the oil and season it with the salt.
• Place the chicken on a roasting tray, breast-side up, and put it in the oven.
• Roast the chicken for one hour, occasionally basting with the juices in the roasting tray.
• To establish if the chicken is cooked, pierce it between the thigh and the breast with a skewer and check that the juices run clear.
• Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a large plate and leave it to rest for ten minutes.
• Carve the chicken into thick pieces, as this helps retain the moisture.

For more muscle building meals be sure to checkout our other recipes. 

Calories: 1,179kcal (whole chicken)

Fat: 108g 

Protein: 59g

Carbs: 0g

Marco Pierre White suggests… covering the chicken with cling film when you leave it to rest to stop it from drying out.

Rick Stein suggests… stuffing your chicken with minced pork seasoned with paprika, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg to give it an Indian twist.

Delia Smith suggests… layering rashers of smoked streaky bacon over the bird before roasting for added meaty flavour.