Ingredients

• 4–6 lb chicken
•   lemon, peeled, thinly sliced and finely chopped
•   onion or garlic, chopped
•   Parma ham or smoked bacon, chopped
•   thyme, chopped
•   salt and pepper
• 4 oz butter, softened
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced, to place in chicken
•   potatoes, parboiled, cut into chunks
•   celeriac, cut into similar sized chunks
•   butter, melted, for sprinkling
•   thyme, chopped, a little, for sprinkling

Method

1. Peel the lemon, slice thinly and chop finely. Chop the onion (or garlic).
2. Add the lemon and onion to the chopped ham, along with chopped thyme and salt and pepper.
3. Work 4 oz softened butter into the mixture with your hands.
4. Loosen the skin above the breast on the chicken and fill the cavity with the flavoured butter mix.
5. Score the thighs with a sharp knife — 2 cuts each. Press some flavoured butter into the cuts.
6. Slice 1 lemon thinly and place inside the chicken.
7. Parboil potatoes in chunks. Cut celeriac into similar sized chunks.
8. Put the chicken into a roasting tin and surround evenly with both sets of chunks. Sprinkle with melted butter and a little chopped thyme.
9. Roast at 220°C for 2 hours. When cooked, leave to rest 10–15 minutes before serving.

Notes