Simply gorgeous: Super-easy sage & lemon chicken in a pot 

SERVES 4

1 x 1.8kg good quality free-range chicken

1 lemon, halved

sea salt and black pepper

a large handful of sage leaves

extra virgin olive oil

30g unsalted butter

TO SERVE

extra sage leaves

a little lemon zest

Step 1 Preheat the oven to 210C/190C fan/gas 6½. Squeeze the lemon over the chicken, pop the squeezed halves inside and loosely secure the legs with string, leaving some air between leg and breast. Season the chicken generously all over. 

Step 2 Put the chicken in a roasting tin or large casserole that will hold it snugly. Scatter over the sage leaves. Drizzle over 3 tablespoons of oil and dot with the butter. Pour a little water into the base of the roasting dish (about 2cm deep) and roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove the chicken and leave to rest for 15-20 minutes. Briefly fry some extra sage leaves in a little oil over a medium heat and grate a little lemon zest.

Step 3 Skim off any excess fat from the roasting juices in the pan, add a few tablespoons of water and bring to a bubble, scraping up any sticky residue. Serve the carved chicken with the juices drizzled over, the fried sage leaves and lemon zest.