Add salt, pepper, one bay leaf, one crushed clove of garlic, lemon and a small bunch of thyme to the body cavity.

 Salt and pepper the outside and rub a little olive oil onto the chicken.

Place the chicken breast side down in a roasting pan (this will help to prevent drying of the breast). Cook in a pre-heated oven (200c, 400f, gas mark 6) for half the cooking time (cooking time is determined by this formula: 15 minutes per 450g – 1lb – of chicken, plus 15 extra minutes).

 Turn the chicken over and finish cooking it breast side up. Once cooked, put the chicken on a warmed platter and let stand for 15 minutes before serving to allow the juices to settle and the meat to relax.

 You can use a little boiling water to deglaze the pan and use this as the gravy. This method will give you crispy skin and moist flesh.