Slow Roasted Cockerel Recipe

We recently killed two more roosters. One is now in the freezer, the other we cooked after giving it a day to 'rest' which apparently lets the rigor mortise go away.

We also decided to cook this one slower than the first one we did for more tender meat. Particularly the legs were a bit tough.

1 chicken (approx 1.5-2kg)

1 lemon

1 onion

4 cloves of galic

A glass of beer or wine

Deep ovenproof dish that the chicken fits in. Ideally with a lid, but foil is fine.

Put the chicken in to the dish and salt all over

Cut the lemon and onion in the quarters and skin the garlic cloves and scatter round the sides

Season with pepper and mixed herbs

Pour the glass of beer or wine around the chicken and put the lid on

Cook for 3 hours in a 150°C oven. Check occasionally and top up the liquid if it is going to boil dry. You want enough left in the bottom at the end to make a nice sauce - but it will taste watery if there is too much.
Remove the lid and cook for a further 30 mins at 200°C

Serve with roast veg and potatoes with the cooking liquid spooned over as gravy. The meat should be tender and falling off the bone. The sauce should have a pleasant lemony tang.