Maggie Beer’s Tips for the Perfect Roast Chicken

If I ever get the chance to invite a celebrity chef to dinner at our house, I know who I’m inviting – Maggie Beer. It’s not just Maggie’s amazing cooking knowledge that I’d love to absorb; I think she’d be such a wonderful dinner guest with her warm and joyful personality. At MasterChef LIVE last year, I had a very brief opportunity to meet Maggie and she was as lovely and obliging in person as she appears on TV.

What I love about Maggie’s cooking style is that she cooks the sort of food that we all actually eat at home, and she shares really simple tips for making it fabulous.

Here’s Maggie’s tips on a perfect roast chicken:

• Wipe chook with paper towel (helps to get crispy skin), then rub with olive oil and salt.
• Fold the wing tips under the bird (will avoid them drying out).
• Place the chook on a roasting rack in a low-sided baking tray (helps it to cook evenly).
• Cover the breast area with a strip of foil to prevent it from drying out.
• Place the chook in the oven (pre-heated to 180 degrees) and cook for 45 minutes per kilo.
• Remove foil from the breast and pour on a little olive oil. Return to oven for 30 minutes.
• Test the bird with a skewer at thickest point (between the leg joint) to see if juice is pink. If juices are clear, remove the chicken from the oven.
• To rest the chicken, turn it over to breast side down (juices will run into the breast and keep them moist).
• Cover loosely with foil to keep it warm and leave to rest for 20 minutes.

Which celebrity chef would you love to invite to dinner and why?