Whole roast chicken with lemon, garlic and potatoes

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Pat the chicken completely dry inside and out with paper towel — this matters most for crisp skin. Season the cavity generously with salt and pepper, then tuck in the lemon halves, 3 of the garlic cloves and the thyme.

Mix the softened butter with the remaining garlic clove, finely chopped. Gently loosen the skin over the breasts and push some of the butter underneath, then rub the rest over the whole skin and season the outside generously with salt and pepper.

Halve or quarter the potatoes, halve the carrots lengthwise and cut the onion into quarters. Toss the vegetables with the oil, salt and pepper in a large roasting dish, then sit the chicken on top of or among the vegetables.

Stir the stock cube into the boiling water and pour it carefully around the chicken in the dish — this keeps everything moist and becomes the base for a pan sauce.

Roast for about 70-80 minutes, basting the chicken and vegetables with the pan juices halfway through. It's done when golden brown, the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced, and a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 74-75°C.

Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest uncovered for 10-15 minutes before carving — this keeps it juicy and the skin crisp.

Carve the chicken and serve with the potatoes, carrots, onion and pan juices from the dish.