My nephew hates cooking!

He told me after I gave him lessons!

Yep! I didn’t know how to react. “I don’t really like cooking”, he said emphatically. All I could come out with was “Oh!”

He’s a foodie, fact. He even likes to watch cookery programs. A few years ago, I offered him cookery lessons which I thought would be valuable as he was about to leave the country. Every week (for 10 weeks) I would get some simple ingredients together and have fun making them while teaching him the basics of food prep, kitchen hygiene, and how to look for good quality ingredients. I was having fun, I thought he was too. It wasn’t until this week when he dropped the bombshell that I heard the truth.

My nephew is a footballer in the U.K. when he was a toddler I left to go to work in a very prestigious kitchen in France. While I was away, he learned many things. I missed it all other than the gargling down the phone. I was loving sending time with him. As it turned out He was loving spending time with me even though he didn’t like cooking. When I look back on our time together I realise just how much time we spent laughing, shopping, cooking, and eating together. A moment in our lives we wouldn’t want to take back or will probably never have again. Makes me love cooking even more. This creative, necessary, complex medium that brought us together fills my heart with joy and I give thanks.

One recipe he did love and still makes, on occasion, is this.

Date Night Roast Chicken

1½ kg (4 cups) Chicken

2-3 tspns Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Lemon

1 med Onion, cut into large pieces

3 med Carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces

1 stalk Celery, cut into large pieces

200g (1½ cups) Baby potatoes, quartered

2 clove Garlic, halved

3 tbspns Butter, melted

1 bunch Fresh thyme

Method

1.     Take your chicken out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking, so it can reach room temperature and cook more evenly. Leave it covered in a cool place. Most chickens come without any giblets, but if you do have them, remove them before cooking. Use giblets to make stock or gravy, but don't add the liver as it can impart a bitter taste.

2.     Meanwhile prepare your vegetables; onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, and garlic and place in your roasting tin with (which should be slightly larger than your bird) a coating of oil, salt, and pepper.

3.     Get your chicken in a clean bowl cut off any strings. Wash in cold water from top (the neck) to bottom. Just run the water through and pat dry with paper towels.

4.     Preheat your oven to 350F / 200C Gas 6.

5.     Season the chicken by, squeezing 2 lemons. Run the juice of 1 into the inside of the chicken and rub the outside of the chicken with the other. Sprinkle inside with salt & pepper and from the bottom push 2 halves of lemon and a few sprigs of herbs into the cavity – parsley, thyme (keep some sprinkles for the top) and bay leaves. These will enhance the flavour.

6.     Coat the skin on the legs and breast of the chicken with oil, (olive oil if you have it) or smear with softened butter.

7.     Sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt, freshly ground black pepper and any sprinkles of thyme you may have. Place into your bird on top of your vegetables so you can cook them at the same time.

8.     Place in the hot oven and cook for 45 minutes per kg, plus an extra 20 minutes.

9.     Baste your chicken after about 30 minutes by tilting the tin slightly and use a spoon or turkey baster to scoop up some of the fat, and then drizzle it carefully over the chicken. Baste 2 to 3 times during cooking.

10.   Pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer and let the juices run out. If they are clear, then it's cooked, but if they still look pink, return it to the oven for 15 minutes, then test again