My Paprika & Sage Butter Roast Chicken was declared "the best chicken ever" by my former housemate and I am inclined to agree! The credit really goes to the generous layer of spiced butter which is smothered over the whole bird before roasting. You really can't go wrong.
Line a baking tray or oven dish which the chicken fits in snuggly.
Remove any string trussing a 2kg Whole Chicken.
Use a pair of sharp kitchen scissors to remove the wing tips, parsons's nose, the neck remnants, knuckles and any extra flaps of skin from around the opening the chicken.
Finely chop 10 Sage Leaves and add to a small mixing bowl with 100g Salted Butter, 1 tbsp Garlic Paste, 2 tbsp Sea Salt Flakes and 2 tsp Paprika.
Spread the buttery mix all over the chicken, not forgetting the legs and underside.
Put the chicken into the lined tin upside down and place on the top shelf of the oven for 40 minutes.
Take the chicken out of the oven and drain the juices into a small saucepan.
Set the juices aside and return the chicken to the oven right side up.
After 30 minutes, drain any further juices that the chicken has released then return it to the oven.
After a further 20 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven, drain any more juices. Check that it is cooked by slicing between the thigh and breast to check if the juices run clear. If the meat is overly pink or juices are a bit pink, put the chicken back in the oven and check it at 5 minute intervals. Don't panic and overcook - trust your instinct.
Once cooked, drain any further juices, cover the chicken with foil and set aside to rest.
Meanwhile, mix 2 tbsp Cornflour with a little cold water to make a slurry.
Put the small saucepan of cooking juices onto a medium-high.
Once it is simmering, add the cornflour slurry a little a time whilst whisking. Keep adding until the sauce is a drizzling thickness of your liking. Leave to keep warm on a low heat until needed.
Once the chicken has rested for at least 15 minutes, carve and serve with the sauce. You can add any additional juices released during the resting time into the sauce.
Notes
Important! If you have adjusted the serving size/size of chicken in this recipe, the cooking time will vary. A larger bird will take longer to cook and a smaller one will take less.