Roast Chicken

Chicken is a staple in Papua New Guinea. Surprisingly, people refer to meat here as protein so do not be surprised when people ask you for protein. I like to do roasts as they are easy to do. All you have to do is throw the meat into the oven and wait. Of course, there are a few more things that you have got to do so I'm here to tell you what these are.

The ingredients:

• Chicken - size 15
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil or butter
• Dried herbs (optional)
• Onion (optional)
• Lemon (optional)
• Garlic (optional)
• Carrots (optional)

The procedure:

I always like to marinade my chicken in salt water. I mix about 1/3 cup of salt to 2 litres of water and immerse the chicken in it for 2 hours. I then rinse it in cold water after and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. When you're about to cook it, rinse it again and dry it with a paper towel.

Slice the onion in 2 and stuff it in the chicken. Quarter the lemon and stuff that into the chicken as well. Separate the garlic cloves and stuff that into the chicken too. Sprinkle pepper on the chicken and drizzle olive oil on it.

Chop the carrots and the other onion and the rest of the garlic and lay it on a baking tray. I use a disposable aluminium tray that is about 2-inches deep since I only have a baking sheet for cookies. Mix some salt in water and put a little in just to prevent these from burning when roasting then drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle it with pepper.

Now this is important. You have to use a rack to elevate the chicken and allow the hot air underneath your fowl to allow even cooking. As the bird cooks, its natural juices will drip down into the carrots adding to the flavour.

Preheat your oven to 180C and throw the chicken in for 70 minutes. Bring the chicken out after and let it rest for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

prepare your salt water.

immerse your chicken in it.

prepare your other ingredients.

you need a tray and a rack.

chop your garlic.

lay out your chopped carrots on the tray.

chop your onions.

quarter your lemons.

stuff the lemon, garlic and onions in the chicken.

this chicken is stuffed!

pour some salt water on your carrots, garlic and onions.

sprinkle pepper on your carrots, garlic and onions.

now drizzle olive oil on it.

lay your stuffed chicken on the rack on top of the carrots.

sprinkle pepper on the chicken.

drizzle olive oil on the chicken.

now the bird is ready to go.

here's the bird all cooked.

the chicken skin has a light crisp to it.

this chicken is extra tender and really juicy.

By the way, you can also add potatoes and pumpkin with the carrots underneath the chicken. Ciao!