Brine (Overnight)

1. In a large Tupperware container (or bowl), place a whole chicken, having rinsed it off first. Top up the container with your brine of choice, ensuring that the chicken is fully submerged (if using a bowl, place a small plate on top of the bird to help hold it under).  My brine solution has a tablespoon of sugar, 5-6 heaped tablespoons of salt, some thyme, and black peppercorns. If you want to experiment with other brine recipes, there are plenty online.

Preparing (day of)

1. The next morning remove the chicken from the brine, discarding the brine.  Refill the container with plain water and submerge the chicken again for 30min ( this helps remove any excessive amounts of salt).

2. In a large pot (big enough to easily fit the entire chicken), fill 3/4 full with boiling water. On the side, prepare an ice bath for the chicken.

3. Using tongs, carefully dunk the chicken into the boiling water for 30sec, remove, and immediately put it into the ice bath. Once the water has reboiled and the chicken is cool, repeat for 30sec and cool again. This helps kill off bacteria and prepares the chicken skin to be crisp and delicious.

4. Pat the chicken dry, and then put it on a plate in the fridge to dry off. Try and do this for at least a few hours. Gives you time to peel and chop the potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and pumpkin.

Cooking Chicken

1. Around 5.5hrs before you are wanting to serve the chicken, remove it from the fridge and let warm up while you get ready.

2. Preheat the oven to 65-70C. Boil some water and add a whole lemon. Give it a min, and then pull out with tongs, and stab all over with a fork. Then shove it up the chicken’s butt.

3. For your gravy starters, in a roasting pan, add the halved onion, whole garlic, a few carrots, and celery.

4. Cover the roasting pan with a pizza tray, and add the chicken.

5. Put this collection into the oven, making sure there’s enough room at the bottom of the oven for another baking tray for the potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, and any other veg you like roasted. This second tray I normally don’t put in until the 2nd hour, but at 65 degrees it won’t matter too much.

6. At the 3.5hr mark, pull the chicken out and use a meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the chicken breast is at 65-70degrees. If it is, your chicken is done, almost. The skin isn’t crispy yet, so rub it with some butter.

7. Turn the oven up to max, and throw the chicken back into the oven until crisp (10min or so).

8. When the chicken is crisp, take out of the oven, remove the lemon, pour any extra juices into the gravy veg pan, and then rest it under foil on a plate ready to serve.

9. Keep an eye on your roast veg, and when ready, pull it out of the oven and also cover in foil.

For Gravy

1. The gravy pan with all the veg should be ready for a splash of white wine to deglaze, and if you have it, a bit of chicken or veg stock will help stretch the amount of gravy you can make. If none is available, splash in a cup or so of water and let simmer on your stovetop.

2. After 3-5min of simmering, mash or blitz the gravy veg, and then strain into a container, discarding the solids.

3. Create a roux by melting 150g of butter with a splash of veg oil and stir through a couple of heaped spoons of plain flour. Allow the raw flour to cook for 30-40sec and then (while continuing the stir) start slowly adding the gravy stock in with the roux.

4. Season to taste and once thickened to a gravy consistency, pour into a serving vessel.

5. Serve and eat