Hearty winter dinners

Roast chicken with garlic

SERVES 4 - 6

When garlic is roasted it loses its strong edge and develops a delicious, sweet flavour. It's wonderful with the chicken.

4 heads of garlic - no, this isn't a misprint!
1 good quality chicken
salt and pepper
25g (1oz) soft butter
Sea salt for the top
Whole black peppercorns or freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
350ml (12 fl.oz) chicken stock, for the gravy

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/ gas 5. Slice top and bottom off the heads of garlic, separate the cloves and peel them. Place the chicken in the roasting tray. Put about 8 cloves of peeled garlic in the cavity of the chicken, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Smear the soft butter over the skin. Sprinkle with some flakes of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper (the pepper should be quite rough - bash it in a pestle and mortar or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin) and lightly push it into the butter. Pour over the juice of 1 lemon and pop into the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then add the remaining garlic cloves around the chicken, basting them and the bird with the juices. Roast for a further 45 - 60 minutes, until cooked. The legs should feel quite loose in the bird, and when a skewer is stuck into the thigh, with a spoon placed underneath to catch the juices, the juices should run clear. Transfer the chicken and the garlic cloves to a serving plate and leave to rest, in a warm oven if possible, while you make the gravy. Place the roasting tray on the hob on a medium heat, add half of the stock and bring to the boil, whisking to deglaze the sweet juicy bits which have stuck to the tray. When it comes to the boil, pour it into a maisgras or a small bowl or glass jug. If using the bowl/jug, add 1 or 2 ice cubes. This will draw the fat to the top; then you can spoon the fat off and discard. If using a maisgras, degrease the juices in the usual way. Pour the degreased juices into a small saucepan, add the remainder of the stock, bring to the boil and season to taste. If it's a little watery, boil it for another couple of minutes. Take the chicken out of the oven, carve and serve with the gravy, Granny's Roast Potatoes or mash or Gratin of Potatoes and Leeks.

NOTE: You could leave out the garlic and pop a lemon into the cavity.
NOTE: In the wintertime, when there isn't very much exciting green salad stuff available, don't forget about cabbage, which is in season this time of year. Some finely shredded red cabbage makes for a winter salad with lovely flavour and crunch.