Total time: 1 hour, plus at least 2 hours’ chilling Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

1⁄4 cup unsalted butter (1⁄2 stick), at room temperature 4 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced 2 tsp minced fresh parsley leaves 2 tsp minced mixed fresh herbs — any mix of mint, oregano and marjoram 11⁄2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves 1⁄2 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves 13⁄4 tsp fine sea salt 1 tsp herbes de Provence 1⁄2 tsp finely grated lemon zest 1⁄2 tsp freshly ground white pepper 1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2kg whole chicken, spatchcocked and dried with paper towels (see Note)

Lemon wedges, for garnish

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, mash together the butter, garlic, parsley, mixed herbs, thyme, rosemary, salt, herbes de Provence, lemon zest, white pepper and black pepper. Rub three-quarters of the mixture all over the chicken, including under the skin. (Reserve the remaining herb butter for serving.) Place the chicken, breast-up, on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate it, uncovered, for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

2. Heat oven to 230C. Roast chicken until it is just cooked through (the meat will no longer be pink and the juices will run clear; an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh will show 75C), 40 to 55 minutes. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving. Serve it topped with the reserved herb butter and lemon wedges.

Tip:

To spatchcock a chicken, place the bird breast-side down on a work surface. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, start at the tail end and cut along one side of the backbone. Open the chicken up like a book, flip the chicken over, and press down on it to flatten it. Press firmly on the breastbone. You’ll feel it pop.