Roast chicken with lemon & thyme potatoes

• 1Whole chicken
• 1Lemon
• 4 clovesGarlic
• 2 tspDried thyme
• 4 tbspOlive oil
• 1.2kgPotatoes
• 1 tbspPlain flour
• 1 cubeChicken stock cube, in 400ml water
• 1 headBroccoli

Plus salt, pepper and water.

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan). Sit the chicken in a roasting tin. Zest the lemon into a small bowl for the potatoes, then halve it and push the halves into the cavity with 2 of the garlic cloves, bashed. Rub the chicken with 1 tbsp of the oil, 1 tsp of the thyme and plenty of salt and pepper.

2. 2

   Roast for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 190C (170C fan) and roast for 1 hour more, until the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh and there is no pink meat.

   1 hr 20 min, mostly hands-off

3. 3

   Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Boil in salted water for 8 minutes, drain and shake in the colander to rough up the edges.

   18 min, mostly hands-off

4. 4

   Tip the potatoes into a second tin with the rest of the oil and thyme, the other 2 garlic cloves, bashed, the lemon zest and a good pinch of salt. Roast on the shelf above the chicken for 1 hour, turning once, until golden and crisp.

   1 hr, mostly hands-off

5. 5

   Lift the chicken onto a board, tipping the lemon halves back into the tin, cover it loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes. Turn the oven up to 220C (200C fan) to crisp the potatoes while it rests.

   15 min, mostly hands-off

6. 6

   For the gravy, spoon off most of the fat from the tin and set it over a low heat. Stir in the flour, then gradually add the stock cube crumbled into 400ml boiling water, scraping up the sticky bits. Squeeze in the juice from the roasted lemon and bubble for 5 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon.

7. 7

   Cut the broccoli into florets and boil for 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender. Drain.

8. 8

   Stir any resting juices into the gravy, carve the chicken and serve with the potatoes and broccoli.