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1 chicken, 1.8 kg

1 lemon, halved

2–3 cloves garlic

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large sprig rosemary

Walnut sized piece of butter

2–3 red-skinned potatoes, quartered

Mixed vegetables, cut into chunks

Extra fresh rosemary

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

White wine, or vermouth, verjuice, stock or water

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1. An hour and a quarter before dinner, preheat oven to 220°C.

2. Rub chicken vigorously inside and out with lemon.

3. Crush garlic with the back of a knife, roll in salt and pepper and insert in cavity with lemon halves, rosemary sprig and butter.

4. Put chicken into a large baking dish.

5. Put vegetables into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

6. Add a few rosemary leaves and oil and toss to coat.

7. Scatter vegetables around chicken and massage its skin with the seasoned olive oil.

8. Turn chicken on its side.

9. Place baking dish in centre of oven.

10. After 20 minutes, turn chicken over onto its other side and carefully turn vegetables.

11. After a further 20 minutes, turn chicken breast-side up, baste with juices, loosen vegetables and roast for another 20 minutes.

12. Reduce oven temperature to 160°C.

13. Transfer chicken and vegetables to a heatproof plate and rest in oven.

14. Discard all fat from baking dish and deglaze over heat with wine.

15. Stir vigorously to dislodge all the cooked-on good bits, and lengthen with either a little more wine or add some home-made stock or tomato sauce or cream.

16. Joint chicken, arrange on a serving platter with vegetables and pour over juices.

This is the way I roast my chicken – with the vegetables around the bird. Chunks of parsnip, pumpkin, turnip and carrot and small onions are all good to add with the potato.