Upside-Down Slow-Roast Chicken

(serves 4 with soup leftovers)

1 large chick­en, spatchcocked
3 tbsps butter
1 large white onion, quartered
5 cloves gar­lic, peeled
3 tbsps olive oil
sea salt and pepper

In a large bak­ing dish lined with foil, place the chick­en, rubbed all over with the but­ter, breast DOWN. Trust me, the breast will not dry out, even if the fin­ished prod­uct is less than ele­gant-look­ing. Spatch­cock­ing means, of course, sim­ply remov­ing the back­bone and flat­ten­ing the chicken.

Scat­ter the onion and gar­lic all round, then sprin­kle every­thing with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Place in a slow oven, 120C, 240F. You should also place in the same oven a foil-wrapped pack­age of small whole beets, or parsnips, or but­ter­nut squash. Any­thing of a root veg­etable nature will take to this method of cooking.

Come home three hours lat­er to… din­ner. I promise.