Scarborough Fair Roast Chicken for Slow Sunday

Scarborough Fair Roast Chicken 

for 

Slow Sunday

Parsley, Sage Rosemary and Thyme freshly picked from my garden

Sunday 14th August 2011

Dimanche 14 Aout 2011 ~ St Evrard

Slow Sunday Roast

Scarborough Fair Roast Chicken

 At last Slow Sunday……but not so slow for me today though as I have friends coming over for Sunday lunch, so I will be pretty busy in the kitchen later. I am first downstairs today, apparently it’s my turn to make the tea, again, and having taken a cup up for my husband, I indulge in an early morning wander around the garden……it’s quiet, all apart from the birds, and the dew is still on the grass; I can smell the herbs and flowers as I wander around clutching my mug of tea…..I love this time of the day and I revel in the solitude. There will be chatter, laughter and tall tales around my kitchen table later, but for now, it is just me and my beautifully fresh and dewy fragrant garden ~ perfect.

Cosmos in the wild meadow flower garden

I let the chickens out, I love to see them running around with their skirts and bustles swaying behind them! I then have the privilege of collecting the eggs, one of them still warm, a little pale brown one……I fancy a scrambled eggs for breakfast I think. I feel a little guilty that I am cooking roast chicken for lunch today……I’ll have to keep the kitchen door shut whilst its roasting and put up a screen! The recipe I am using is one of my own, Scarborough Fair Chicken ~ a roast chicken with butter, wine and the Scarborough Fair herbs ~ parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, all freshly picked from my herb garden. It makes the most wonderful and aromatic juices that are then made into gravy. It’s easy, tasty, moist and tender and always goes down a bomb at my Sunday Lunches. 

Scarborough Fair Roast Chicken

Scarborough is my home town in England, a wonderful seaside town with vibrancy and buzz ~ and although the original Scarborough Fair is no longer held there, they do have numerous fairs throughout the year, including Continental food fairs, which are very popular. The lyrics of the song “Scarborough Fair” are known around the world, but where did they come from?

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme,
Remember me to one who lives there,
For she/he once was a true love of mine.

 It is thought that the song started in the Middle Ages, sung by bards travelling from town to town. The nature of the song has meant that there are many versions out there, many not including the famous refrain. This is thought to have been added in the 19th Century, borrowed from another ballad Riddles Wisely Expounded. (Scarborough Fair Online)

Parsley, Sage Rosemary and Thyme freshly from my garden

The original fair started in the Middle Ages  when the seaside town of Scarborough was an important venue for tradesmen from all over England. It was host to a huge 45-day trading event, starting on August the 15th, which was exceptionally long for a fair in those times. Merchants came to it from all areas of England, Norway, Denmark, the Baltic states and the Byzantine Empire. Scarborough Fair originated from a charter granted by King Henry III of England on 22 January 1253. Naturally, such a large occasion attracted a lot more than just tradesmen; they needed to be entertained and fed, therefore large crowds of buyers, sellers and pleasure-seekers attended the fair. Prices were determined by ‘Supply and demand’, with goods often being exchanged through the barter system.

Scarborough Seafront and Castle

But back to today, I need to crack on and get my veggies peeled and the chicken sorted out ~ as well as make my pudding, an apple cake ~ recipe to follow next week. So, here is the recipe for a lovely herb and butter roast chicken, My Scarborough Fair Chicken.

Just out of the oven

SCARBOROUGH FAIR BUTTERY ROAST CHICKEN

Put the herbs in to the cavity for aromatic juices

RECIPE:

Serve with stuffing, seasonal veggies and spuds.

You can’t beat a roast chicken and this one is cooked slowly with butter and herbs, which results in a moist and tender bird with aromatic juices. 

NB: I only ever use Red Label or organic chickens, they are humanely reared and treated well, and it makes a huge difference to the taste; plus my conscience will not allow me to buy a mass produced and poorly treated bird ~ I know they are more expensive but I like to think I am doing my bit to stamp out the cruel and unnecessary practice of overcrowding and mass reared factory birds…..rant over!

Red Label Farm Chicken ~ raised free range

Ingredients: 

(serves 6)

1 chicken ~ 1.8kg (4lb) oven ready

100g (4ozs) butter, salted is best

bunch of herbs ~ parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

1 lemon

salt and freshly ground black pepper

150ml (1/4 pint) white wine

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6). Spread the butter over under and over the skin of the chicken. Season well with sat and pepper. Squeeze over the lemon half and then put in the cavity of the chicken. Then add the bunch of herbs to the cavity ~ push them in so only the tips of the leaves show.
2. Put the chicken in a roasting tin with the wine and roast for 1hr 40mins (20 mins per 450g, plus 20 mins) until the skin is golden and the juice runs clear. Leave to rest for at least 15 mins, covered, in a warm place.
3. Whilst the chicken is resting, skim the fat that has risen to the top of the chicken juices, and then heat the juices with 150ml (1/4 pint) water in a saucepan over a high heat ~ let the gravy bubble on a slow boil until it has reduced slightly. Pour into a gravy bat and serve with the chicken,

Serve with stuffing, seasonal veggies and spuds.

See you all tomorrow when I have some sweet treats from Sunday baking to share with you.

Karen