Karen Martini’s Roast Chicken

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 1 medium free range chicken
• 8 medium red-skinned (Desiree) potatoes, unpeeled
• 2 tbsp butter
• 10 sprigs thyme, rosemary or other fresh herb
• 1 lge brown onion
• 3 bulbs garlic
• ½ - 1 C olive oil
• 2 lemons
• sea salt and black pepper
• white wine, chicken stock or water (up to 1 C, or as needed)

Method

Preheat oven to 220°C.

Cook potatoes until just tender. Drain.

Crush and peel three cloves of garlic, crush a sprig or two of the herbs, finely chop half a lemon and mix together with the butter and a little salt.

Gently separate skin from chicken breast to form pockets and fill with butter-herb mix.

Squeeze the lemon half and rub over chicken.

Separate the cloves from one bulb of garlic. Leave them unpeeled, bruise with the back of a knife and place in cavity with squeezed lemon half and half the remaining herbs.

Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to take chicken and potatoes (or use a separate dish for potatoes), cut onion into thick slices, slice the other lemon and place in the dish with remaining separated, unpeeled garlic cloves and herbs.

Use a potato masher to squash potatoes into 2cm-thick discs.

Rub chicken with olive oil and place on the onions, garlic and lemon, surround with the potatoes, sprinkle over half a cup of stock or wine and half the oil.

Season chicken and potatoes generously with salt and pepper then place in oven and roast 60-75 minutes, adding more oil or stock if necessary, until cooked.

Remove and rest chicken for five to ten minutes. Serve with potatoes, garlic, lemon, pan juices and salad leaves.