INGREDIENTS

• 1.5kg Simply Better Fresh Irish Corn Fed Whole Chicken
• 500ml Simply Better Irish Free Range Chicken Stock
• 120ml Simply Better Riesling
• 100g Simply Better Clogherhead Sea Salt
• 3 Tbsp. Rapeseed Oil
• 1 Bunch Fresh Thyme Sprigs
• 1 Lemon
• 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
• 8 Small Carrots, peeled
• 4 Red Onions, peeled and halved
• 2 Celery Sticks, chopped in half
• 1 Leek, chopped in half
• 1 Garlic Bulb, broken into cloves but not peeled
• 1 Tbsp. Plain Flour

To serve:

• Roast Potatoes
• Garden Peas

METHOD

1. Dissolve the salt in a large saucepan or bowl with 4 litres of water, then add the chicken along with a few sprigs of thyme, cover with a lid and transfer to the fridge for 24 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C Fan / Gas Mark 6).Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse under cold running water and pat dry.
3. Finely grate the rind from the lemon and place in a bowl, reserving the lemon. Strip the thyme leaves from the stalks of the remaining thyme and add to the bowl with the lemon rind and add the butter and crushed garlic. Mix well and season well.
4. Loosen the skin from the chicken breasts and spread the butter evenly under the skin. Spread any remaining butter over the skin of the chicken.
5. Place the carrots, onions, celery, leek and garlic cloves in a roasting tin and toss with 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil. Sit the chicken on top of the vegetables and drizzle over the remaining oil then season well. Cut the reserved lemon in half and put it inside the chicken cavity with any leftover thyme stalks.
6. Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, make sure to baste it halfway through cooking.
7. When the chicken is cooked, remove the oven and transfer to a board or plate along with the carrots and red onion. Cover with tin foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes while you make the gravy.

To serve:

1. Using a large spoon, carefully remove most of the fat from the tin, then place the tin directly on the heat. Stir in the flour, then holding the tin steady, mash up the remaining vegetables as much as possible with a potato masher. Pour the wine into the tin and allow it to bubble down, stirring continuously to blend the flour in. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened. Pass the gravy mixture through a sieve set over a jug and keep warm.
2. Carve the chicken into slices and serve on warmed plates with the reserved carrots, onions and some roast potatoes and garden peas.