The hard part of a roast dinner isn’t any single dish — it’s getting everything hot and on the table at the same time. Work backwards from when you want to eat and it becomes simple. Here’s a plan for a roast chicken of about 1.6kg, serving four.
The timing plan (eating at 2pm)
- 11:45 — Take the chicken out of the fridge. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Peel the potatoes and root veg.
- 12:15 — Chicken in the oven. Parboil the potatoes for 8–10 minutes, drain and shake to rough up the edges.
- 12:30 — Heat a tray of oil in the oven for the potatoes.
- 12:45 — Potatoes into the hot oil. Carrots and parsnips go in on another tray.
- 1:35 — Check the chicken is cooked through: the juices should run clear, or a thermometer in the thickest part should read at least 75°C. Take it out to rest, covered loosely with foil.
- 1:35 — Turn the oven up to crisp the potatoes. Make the gravy from the roasting-tin juices.
- 1:50 — Cook the greens: they only need a few minutes.
- 2:00 — Carve and serve.
Why resting matters
Resting the chicken for 15–20 minutes isn’t wasted time. The juices settle back into the meat so it stays moist when you carve, and it frees up the oven to finish your potatoes at a higher heat.
Three roast-day shortcuts
- Peel and parboil the potatoes the day before and keep them in the fridge.
- Use the resting time to make gravy — the tin is full of flavour.
- Keep plates warm in the switched-off oven while you carve.
Leftovers are half the point
Strip the leftover chicken for sandwiches, a pie or a curry, and simmer the carcass for stock. Tell AI Cook what’s left over and it’ll suggest tomorrow’s dinner. And when you cook from any CulinaryFlow roast recipe, Cook Mode walks you through it one step at a time.