Roast chicken

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C Fan/Gas 6). Slice the lemon halfway through lengthways, insert one sprig of thyme into the slit, and place the lemon inside the chicken cavity.

2. Strip the leaves from the remaining thyme stalks. Lightly crush the garlic cloves with the heel of your hand to remove the skins. In a bowl, combine the thyme leaves, crushed garlic, and olive oil. Blend this mixture (using a pestle and mortar, mini food processor, or hand blender) until it is quite liquid.

3. Rub the blended thyme, garlic, and oil mixture all over the chicken, working it into all the crevices. Place the chicken in a roasting tray, pour over any remaining flavored oil, and season generously with sea salt and black pepper.

4. Cover the chicken loosely with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for another 30 minutes.

5. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (160°C Fan/Gas 4) and roast for a further 25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked (the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer).

6. Turn off the oven and let the chicken rest in the residual heat for at least 10 minutes. Remove the bird from the oven, then carve.

7. Stir the pan juices over the hob to heat through. Serve the carved chicken on a large platter and pour the heated pan juices over the top.