Easy garlic and herb cream cheese roast chicken

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, medium (about 1.5kg)
• 150g
 soft cheese
• 3 garlic, cloves
• a bunch chives, finely sliced
• a small bunch parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• olive oil

Description

• STEP 1

  Take the chicken out of the fridge an hour before you want to start cooking. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Mix the cheese, garlic, chives, parsley, a squeeze of lemon and a good grind of black pepper.

• STEP 2

  Ease the skin away from the breast using your hand, so you end up with a large pocket between the skin and breast. Take ²/3 of the cheese mixture and spread it underneath the skin, so you have a thick, even layer. Spread the remaining cheese mix all over the chicken and put the squeezed lemon half in the cavity. Season the bird generously with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

• STEP 3

  Roast in the oven for 1-1¼ hours, basting every 20 minutes until the juices run clear and the skin is deep golden.