Sunday Roast Chicken

Eat me, because im easy like Sunday Morning

The smell of roast chicken wafting through the house screams lazy Sunday to me.  In my opinion, Sundays were created for laziness and the replenish your body from what the weekdays take from you.  As we all know, Sundays are just as busy sometimes.


When it comes to Sunday Dinners, you can't be a nice juicy roast.  When i first started Weightwatchers, i physically ate my body weight in boiled or stir fried chicken so much that now, neither appeal to me and i would rarely if ever cook them at all.  


I was in Canada a couple of years ago staying with some friends and this was how they roasted their (turkey) as we were there for Thanks Giving.  I was so surprised that it came out so delicious and no extra fat.  I mean, i grew up in a house were chickens or turkeys were roasted in Goose Fat.  Heart attack dinners but boy are they gorgeous.  I actually feel that this is an actual match for it. 


Note: The prep work needs to be done a day in advance.  There is a lot of salt in this however, how often do you eat a roast chicken and also if you buy a prepacked roast chicken or even a frozen chicken check the salt information its astronomical.  So for a treat try this but also the majority of it is discarded.


Weightwatchers Propoints Per Recipe: As per normal skinless chicken in your Weightwatchers Book.  As in 4 for a medium chicken breast and so on.  Remove the skin before eating.  


Ingredients


1 Medium Chicken 
2 Stock cubes in 1 Ltr of boiling water
4 Ltr of cold water
1 Onion sliced
1 Celery stick chopped
130g of salt or 16 measured Tbl 
2 Tbl of ground black pepper
3 Tbl of ground garlic
2 Tbl of dried or fresh chopped sage
2 Tbl of Thyme 
2 Tbl of ginger
Spray oil

Directions


Step 1 Chicken Brining


Dissolve the stock cubes in 1 Ltr of boiling water.  In the mean time, wash the chicken and place it into a very large pot, but a pot that will fit into your refrigerator.  When the boiling water has really cooled pour over the chicken.


Add in all the onion, herbs and spices.  Stir so that the chicken gets coated.  Pour in the remaining 4 Ltr of cold water and stir again.  

Cover with the lid and place in the fridge overnight. 


Step 2 Roasting


Preheat the oven at gas mark 5.


2 hours before you serve dinner remove the chicken from the pot and wash very well.  Keep 4 Ladles of the top of the water, skim it with your ladle and set aside. 


2 of these ladles could be used for pouring over your crumbed low fat bread with some chopped onions a little melted flora and some extra herbs for seasoning. 


After washing the chicken thoroughly, pat dry.  Place the chicken breast side down  on a baking tray.  Chop up veg if you want and place around the chicken. Mist with a little stray oil.  Pour Ladle spoons of brine water over the chicken.  Cover with tin foil and place in the oven for 1 hour. 

After the hour, remove the chicken from the oven and turn it so its breast side up.  If your making roast potatoes, place your par boiled potatoes into the roasting dish now.  Sprinkle with Marks and Spencers Roast Potatoe seasoning.

Cover with tin foil and roast for 25-30 minutes.  Remove the tin foil and place back in the oven for 10 minutes if you feel its needed.  I didn't as i felt it was crispy enough. 

All the chicken to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. 

Enjoy the Niptuck way so you don't have too!