Roast chicken with vegetables is one of those foolproof meals that everyone turns to occasionally — including the royal family. I got the chance to speak to Darren McGrady, who was the personal chef to the British royal family for 15 years, and he let me in on his secrets to cooking a simple chicken that he used to serve to brothers William and Harry and their mom, Princess Diana (without the skin for the princess). Darren also reminded me that Prince Harry did indeed propose to Meghan Markle with roast chicken — it's good enough to impress Her Royal Highness, so take notes! "People overthink chicken," the chef said before sharing his five steps to nailing it every time.
Easy enough, right? Patting the outside dry ensures the skin has a chance to react to the heat and develop a golden-brown, crispy exterior. And because chicken skin has its own flavorful fat, it doesn't even need butter or olive oil. Although the chef's days of cooking in the royal family's kitchen are over, he used his culinary skills for the royal wedding by making a menu of themed treats with Kellogg's, including Lemon Luster Wedding Cake, a Special Krown Breakfast Bowl, Stately Scones, and Majestic Pops with caramel and bananas.