Name: Roast chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 1.75–2 kg whole chicken; Olive oil, to drizzle; 1 lemon, halved; 3 rosemary sprigs; 100 g unsalted butter, melted; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tbsp chopped sage; 2 tsp chopped rosemary; 1 tbsp chopped parsley; ½ tsp salt (butter); ½ tsp black pepper (butter); 250 ml dry white wine or chicken stock; 1 onion, halved; 1 whole garlic bulb, halved horizontally

Method

Heat oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Mix melted butter with garlic, herbs, salt and pepper.
Pat chicken dry. Loosen the skin over the breast and smear most of the herb butter under the skin. Rub the rest over the outside. Season the skin with salt. Stuff cavity with lemon and rosemary.
Put onion and garlic bulb in a roasting pan. Pour in wine or stock. Sit chicken on top, drizzle with oil.
Roast 10 minutes, then drop to 180°C and roast about 1 hr 15 min more, until the thickest part of the thigh is 75°C. Rule of thumb: 10 min hot + 20 min per 500 g.
Rest 15 minutes uncovered. Serve with pan juices.

Tip: Butter under the skin is what keeps the breast juicy. Rest uncovered so the skin stays crisp. Use a thermometer if you have one.