roast chicken, lovely ladies and pickles

We're entertaining today - the divine miss lucy ferguson and the fragrant miss louise pepper are in attendance for a roast and some quality milo time. Unfortunately the 'quality' nature of their time with him is challenged by the fact for the first time *ever* he refuses to go down for his afternoon nap, and therefore has a very minxy look in his eyes for the rest of the afternoon.

He kicked, screamed and shouted until he was blue in the face so we got him up. He didn't even look remotely tired, excessively pleased with himself particularly once the girls arrived which gave him easy access to houmous and crisps. Hmmm, we'll have to keep an eye on this one...

Anyway, clutching ovaries aside (discounting anas of course) I think it went well; we had roast chicken, cabbage, parsnips and roast potatoes. I was going to do a starter but ana pointed out girls like desserts more than starters, so we had eton mess. I should've cooked more though, it wasn't exactly hearty but maybe that's what ladies want?

Anyway just for L&L, here is the secret behind the lemony chicken:

Roast Chicken
Free range chicken
1 lemon
butter
thyme or tarragon
2 bulbs of garlic, brutally crushed but still in their skins.

1. Preheat the oven to 230C. Wash the chicken in cold water then pat dry with kitchen roll. Put it in a roasting tray.
2. Smear the chicken with butter with your hands, season liberally with salt and pepper, and squeeze over the juice of the lemon.
3. Put the herbs, garlic and halves of lemons in the chicken cavity and roast for 15 minutes. Baste with olive oil, then turn the heat down to 190C and roast for another 45 minutes (or until cooked), basting occasionally.
4. Once cooked, turn the oven off and leave the door open for 15 minutes to rest.
et voila!

Depending on what's going down, after the initial 15 minute blast I turn the heat down to 100-120C, which means it takes a couple of hours to cook giving you (me) a chance to play a cheeky round over the river, or go out, or whatever.

Food of the Milos
Hmmm, it wasn't great. We thought after last week's roast he'd want another but he spent most of dinner flirting with Lucy and Lou rather than eating. He did eat a lot of crips though.

sources
roast chicken - Simon Hopkinson - Roast Chicken and Other Stories, p36
eton mess - Jamie Oliver - Cook with Jamie, p396