Roasting Chickens

There are many varieties of whole chickens available for roasting; ranging from cheap (and often fairly tasteless) battery-reared birds to free-range organic birds. You usually get what you pay for; free-range and organic chickens have richer flesh and a better flavour than other varieties.

Young roasting birds are usually the best buy, and can be used for most chicken recipes. Buy corn-fed varieties if your recipe could benefit from the appetising colour of their creamy-yellow flesh. When buying chicken, bear in mind that a 1.75?2 kg (3.5-4 lb) roaster will feed 4?6 people.