Brush a 1.5kg chicken (serves 4-5) with melted butter (or I like to use goose fat which has a lovely flavour). Here’s a tip: I pour the contents of a can of goose fat into ice cube trays and freeze into conveniently-sized portions which I can pop individually into the microwave as and when I need them. Sprinkle with some dried (or fresh) thyme, salt and pepper, and stuff the cavity with chopped lemon and garlic. Bake in an oven at 200c for 20 minutes per 500g (you may need an extra 10 minutes or so depending on your oven), first with the breast side down and then turn back up for the last 20 minutes. Let rest before serving (during which time you can make a gravy if you like with the pan juices – though Marks & Spencers makes a truly wonderful one if you can’t be bothered)

I served this with some red Camargue and long grain brown rice (see the first part of the following recipe on cooking instructions) mixed with some briefly sauted mushrooms (fried with a little olive oil, parsley and some salt and pepper).