A British chicken dish built on whole ingredients.

Servings: 4
Active time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min

Organic sourcing

Chicken benefits most from organic sourcing for animal welfare reasons. Lemons and thyme are also good organic picks due to potential pesticide residues, especially since their skins and leaves are used in cooking.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kg)
• 1 lemon
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• to taste sea salt
• to taste black pepper
• 1 onion

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F).
2. Rinse the chicken inside and out, then pat dry with paper towels.
3. Season the cavity with sea salt and black pepper, then place the whole lemon, halved, inside along with 3 sprigs of thyme.
4. Peel and crush the garlic cloves lightly, then combine with olive oil, and the leaves of the remaining thyme.
5. Rub the garlic-thyme oil mixture all over the chicken and season it generously with more sea salt and black pepper.
6. Cut the onion into large wedges and place it at the bottom of a roasting pan.
7. Place the chicken on top of the onions; this will help caramelize the juices.
8. Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced.
9. Let the roast chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Notes

• For extra moisture, you can baste the chicken with its juices halfway through roasting.
• Leftover chicken makes great sandwiches or salads the next day.

Source

Paraphrased from the culinary canon by Organic.is editors, 2026. Classic British recipe. If you'd like a specific source for further reading, ask Tinni (bottom-right) for a book recommendation.