Here's How To Make Jamie Oliver's Ultimate Roast Chicken

Mouthwatering tips for the best roast ever. Jamie Oliver writes exclusively for BuzzFeed Life.

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A perfect roast chicken dinner is one of life's most comforting pleasures and should be nothing short of a complete joy.

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I'm talking juicy, succulent meat, potatoes that are properly crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle, veggies that are given an equal share of love and attention, and of course, rich, delicious gravy to bring it all together. Here are my little secrets to achieving this – have these up your sleeve ready for your next Sunday roast and I promise you're on to a winner.

First up is chicken prep. A pierced lemon and a bunch of fresh woody herbs up the cavity will add bags of extra flavour and get you off to a flying start.

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The secret to ultimate gravy is in the same roasting tray. Sit the chicken on a bed of roughly chopped veg, such as onions, carrots and celery (you can even add a rasher or two of smoked streaky bacon), and once your bird is done, you can use these sticky roast veg to make the richest gravy you’ve ever tasted.

Roast the chicken for 1 hour and 20 minutes, basting halfway through.

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Once roasted, let the chicken rest on a board, covered in tin foil and a couple of tea towels, and transfer the roasting tray of veg to a medium heat.

See the full recipe for more details.

As your chicken roasts, crack on with this next-level mix of sticky, gorgeous vegetables. They’re all cooked in the same tray, but with delightfully different flavour combos.

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The roast potatoes are aromatic, with rosemary and garlic…

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...whereas the carrots and beets are dressed simply in olive oil – for now.

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The true genius of this recipe comes towards the end. Around 10 minutes before they’re cooked, simply drizzle honey over the carrots…

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…and some sweet, sticky balsamic vinegar over the beetroot.

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At this stage, take your potatoes to the next level.

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Use a potato masher to lightly crush them, increasing the surface area and ensuring you get lots of those lovely, gnarly crispy bits we all love to fight over.

You can also use a plastic water spritzer to spray the potatoes with a little vinegar for an added smack of flavour.

See the full recipe for more details.

Here's how to make the gravy.

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Mash the vegetables from the bottom of the roasting tray together, stir in a little flour to scrape up all the sticky goodness, add water and simmer to the consistency you like, then strain into a saucepan. Perfect.

See the full recipe for more details.

The next trick is knowing what to do with the chicken once it’s roasted.

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One of my favourite ways to ensure everyone gets a nice mixture of white and dark meat is to shred the bird before serving, keeping it all juicy and delicious with a drizzle of gravy. It makes serving a complete breeze, and avoids arguments over who gets what!

Keep your final veg serving simple.

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A pile of steamed seasonal greens, such as kale or savoy cabbage, something nice and fresh to cut through all those rich flavours. And it’s time to serve up!

The last trick is one you’ll definitely have heard of.

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Use the carcass to make stock. It’s well worth the effort and the perfect base for incredible soups, rice and grain dishes, and sauces, and also keeps in the freezer for months. Simply boil and simmer the carcass in a big pot with a few handfuls of roughly chopped veg, herbs, and seasoning, covered with water, for a few hours. There’s a good reason why making stock is such a time-honoured tradition.

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