Garlic Chicken Roast

Ingredients

• 2 lbs potatoes roasting cut lengthways
• 4-5 lbs chicken
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 oz olive oil, extra virgin
• 1\2 tablespoon salt, sea coarse grain
• 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled, lightly crushe
• As per taste black peppercorns, crushed
• 6 bay leaves
• 1\2 oz butter, unsalted
• 14 oz chicken stock
• 1\2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 small parsley leaf bunch flat coarsely .

Method

1. Heat oven to gas mark 5, 190 C. Rub the chicken with the 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the salt.

2. Place the chicken in a deep heavy baking dish and surround with the potatoes and garlic in a single layer. Sprinkle the chicken with pepper, bay leaves and the remaining olive oil and dot with butter.

3. Add half the stock. Roast uncovered for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to gas 4, 180 C and roast until tender, about 1 hour for a whole chicken or 40 minutes for pieces. Baste the chicken and potatoes frequently, adding more stock if needed.

4 Transfer the chicken, potatoes, and garlic to a serving dish and keep warm. Strain the pan juices into a small saucepan, remove the fat with a spoon and add any remaining stock. If this is more than about 12 fl oz's then reduce by rapid boiling. Combine mustard, honey and half the remaining lemon juice and stir into the sauce. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Heat until warm and pour just enough sauce over the chicken and potatoes to moisten them.

5. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve remaining sauce separately.