Cooking at home: roast chicken two ways

I love roast chicken and vegies. In fact, I think it's my favourite meal on earth. Especially when my Mum used to cook it. I always requested it on my birthday.

I had a craving for it this weekend, so I bought a whole chicken to roast (online from Fields) plus some veges - potatoes, pumpkin, zucchini, red onions and garlic. Stuff the chicken with a whole lemon (first prick it with a fork and stick it in the microwave for 20 seconds) and then pop bunches of herbs under the skin (I prefer rosemary and thyme) and a few sticks of butter. Whack it on a roasting tray, drizzle it with olive oil and sea salt, then pop into a hot oven for 30 minutes. Add the vegies (I par-boil my potatoes before this step), and cook it all for another 30 minutes. Take out the chicken and rest it for 5-10 minutes (make the gravy with the pan juices then) before carving the chicken. Last but not least, pull the vegies out of the oven and voila - perfectly crispy skin and tender meat.

As it was just the two of us, we had quite a lot of chicken leftover, so for lunch the next day, I bought a fresh baguette from Baker & Spice on Anfu Lu. In a mixing bowl, combine diced chicken, chopped spring onions, a spoonful or two of mayonnaise, some salt and pepper and give it a stir. Put the mixture on the baguette for a yummy leftover lunch. Waste not, want not.