6 springs of fresh thyme (you can use any fresh herb you have on hand)
4 cups of vegetables of your choice (I used carrots, celery, and broccoli) for roasting, cut into large cubes
Salt and pepper
For the gravy:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
½ cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon black currant jam
Instructions
For the roast chicken: Preheat the oven to 425°F
Remove the giblets and neck from inside the chicken, rinse the chicken, and thoroughly pat dry. Spread softened butter on outside of chicken as well as underneath chicken skin - be gentle, as to not tear the skin. Butter on both sides allows the chicken skin to get nice and crispy in the oven. Liberally salt and pepper the outside of the chicken as well as inside the cavity.
Stuff the chicken with the quartered lemon and orange, cloves of garlic, and thyme. Truss the chicken legs - check out this article on how to truss a chicken.
Arrange your cubed vegetables of choice on a large baking dish, and place chicken on top.
Bake chicken in the oven at 425°F for 20 minutes - this will allow the skin to get nice and crispy. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and cook chicken for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the juices run clear and a meat thermometer inserted in the inner thigh reaches 165°F.
Remove the chicken and vegetables from the baking pan and place on a cutting board or serving tray. Allow the chicken to rest at least 15 minutes before carving. Reserve the drippings from the bottom of the pan for the gravy.
For the black currant gravy: Make a rue in the bottom of a skillet by cooking together the flour and butter until the flour has browned slightly, 1-2 minutes. Add the drippings from the bottom of the roast chicken pan and whisk to completely dissolve the rue. Add the chicken stock and let it simmer until the gravy has thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the black currant jam and whisk well to combine. Top your carved chicken with the gravy and enjoy!
Recipe by The Two Bananas at https://thetwobananas.com/roast-chicken-with-black-currant-gravy/