Perfect Roast Chicken^★

• 1kg charlotte or other small potatoes
• 1.6kg chicken
• 1 large bulb garlic
• 2 stems rosemary
• 2 lemons, halved
• 150ml good olive oil
• 2 tsp Herbes de Provence
• 1 heaped tsp english mustard
• splash white wine vinegar
• splash water

Parboil the potatoes in salted water for about 10 mins or until just soft. Drain and leave to cool slightly.

Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 8. Brush a large roasting tin all over with oilve oil.

With the palm of your hand lightly crush each potato until the potato skin cracks and then layer into the base of your pan.

Place the chicken on the potatoes and stuff the chicken cavity with the rosemary and half a lemon.

Slice the galic bulb in half horizontally. Put the 3 remaining lemon halves and the garlic bulb halves around the chicken.

Pour lots of olive oil over the chicken, potatoes and aromatics. Rub the oil all over the chicken skin with your hands. Season the chicken generously with salt & pepper and the Herbes de Provence.

Cook for 1 hr, basting the chicken every 20 mins, or until the thighs read at least 72C.

Lift the chicken, drain any juices from the cavity into the tin and remove the chicken to a plate. Cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for at least 15 mins.

Remove the roasted potatoes to a plate and keep warm.

Squeeze the roasted lemon halves into the tin getting as much of the soft fruit out as you can. Do the same with the two galic bulb halves and then mash into the chicken juices.

Add 1 tsp mustard, a splash of white wine vinegar and splash of water, if needed. Vigourously whisk the pan juices and all the additions together until the sauce emulsifies.

Break down the chicken into legs, thighs, wings and chunks of breast, leaving the skin on, and then place back in the tin with the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve with the potatoes on the side.