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Ingredients

• 1 whole Chicken (around 1.5-2kg)
• 60g unsalted butter
• Sea salt flakes (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• Drizzle of olive oil
• ½ Lemon
• 1 whole garlic bulb (this may seem like a lot of garlic but it will add depth to the flavour of the sauce and will not be overpowering once cooked)
• 100ml dry white wine
• 4 shallots peeled and cut in half
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into chunky pieces
• 4 potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces about the size of a walnut (cutting the potatoes any smaller runs the risk of them ‘dissolving’ into the sauce)
• 2 sprigs (leaves only) of an aromatic herb such as sage, rosemary, or thyme
• Freshly boiled water
• 5g unsalted butter
• 1 dessert spoon of plain flour

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Equipment

• Copper Tri-ply 24cm Stockpot
• Knife
• Chopping board
• Large plate
• Oven gloves for handling the pan in and out of the oven and on the hob top. The handles of the stockpot will get very hot whilst in the oven and will retain heat for a long time, so be when careful when handling! Oven gloves are essential.

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Cooking Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Mix the salt and black pepper into the 60g of butter and rub it all over the chicken.
3. Place the half lemon inside the body cavity of the chicken. Chop the garlic bulb in half horizontally and place it into the stockpot along with the chicken.
4. Drizzle the cut garlic with a bit of olive oil then place the stockpot in the oven (without the lid) and allow the skin to crisp for 20 minutes.
5. Once the chicken has browned use the oven gloves to bring the stockpot onto the hob, transfer the chicken to a warm plate and add the wine to the stockpot to deglaze it, over a medium heat, getting any caramelised bits off the base of the pot. These will add flavour to the finished dish.
6. Put the chicken back into the stockpot and add the vegetables, herbs and just enough of the freshly boiled water to half cover the chicken. Place the lid on the stockpot and return to the oven using your oven gloves. Reduce the temperature to 190°C and cook for a further 50 minutes.
7. Once the chicken is fully cooked remove from the pot and cut into sections. Serve alongside the vegetables.
8. Thicken the sauce by mixing a dessert spoon of plain flour into a paste with the remaining butter and then whisk the paste into the sauce in the pan. The sauce must be boiled gently for a minute or so in order to cook the flour.
9. Serve the chicken pieces with the vegetables, potatoes and a splash of the gravy. We added a handful of watercress to the plate for a fresh summery taste.