Roasted Chicken with Lemon & Basil

I’m lucky enough to have a curious straight boy staying for the weekend. I met him flying back from Addis Ababa this Summer when he decided to end his holiday by going to sleep in my arms on the plane. He claimed this was just more comfortable. At 4.00 in the morning we did have his shirt unbuttoned looking for mosquito bites to put hydrocortisone on. 

Anyway he’s here and this is what we’re having tonight.

6 free range chicken pieces, skin on, bone in

Olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 lemon

Basil 20 or 30 leaves

A glass of white wine

 Season the chicken and place in a roasting tin. Pour over enough olive oil to moisten and make a shallow pool in the tin. Obviously a huge tin won’t be much good here.

Squash the garlic, though don’t bother peeling it and tuck it in with the chicken. Squeeze the lemon over the chicken – if you do this through your fingers you can catch most of the pips. Chuck the lemon shells in the tin as well.

Roast at 200 or Gas 6 for half an hour. Then tear up the basil and scatter over the chicken and back in the oven it goes for another 10 minutes.

Pour in the wine and then put the tray on the hob so it bubbles fiercely for a few minutes and thickens.

I think it’s nice to plate the chicken up and pour the gravy into a jug, pushing the attractively burnt lemon shells into the jug as well. A green salad would work wonders.

Much as you’re enjoying seeing Lowell in his skater style boxers (an attractive green blue and pink check on a white background), persuade him to get dressed for supper. Have too much wine. Flirt. See where it takes you…