This foolproof recipe for roast chicken is one of the best you’ll ever come across. It’s a dish that everyone should know how to cook, but one that can sometimes be finicky when it comes to the final outcome, which is why this easy method is so great.

With just a few steps, this tasty dish shows why slow-roasting is always the best when it comes to a comforting dinner. Serve it up alongside the crispy roast potatoes and you’re good to go!

Ingredients

• butter, for greasing
• 1.6kg chicken
• 1kg roasting potatoes, halved or quartered if large
• 2 whole garlic heads, halved through the middle
• 100ml white wine
• 100ml chicken stock
• 2 stems rosemary, broken into sprigs
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method

1. Heat oven to 160C fan-forced. Brush large roasting tin all over with butter and smear some over skin of chicken.
2. Place chicken in tin and arrange potatoes around it. Put halved garlic heads in tin, pour over white wine and stock. Cover with foil and place in oven. Cook for 1 hr then remove foil and give potatoes a shake. Add herbs and lemon wedges, then cook uncovered for 50 mins.
3. Turn the heat up to 220C/fan. Cook for 30 mins more, then remove chicken and potatoes from pan. Cover chicken loosely with foil and leave to rest on a plate for at least 10 mins before carving. Keep potatoes warm. Serve with any pan juices.