DELICIOUS COOKERY

Alex Hollywood’s simple family recipes, like this gorgeously garlicky roast chicken, will have everyone coming back for more

There are only a few ingredients, but the joy of cooking in this way is that you can have roast chicken in 30-40 minutes. I start mine off in a large paella pan with a heavy casserole lid to weight it down, before transferring it to a roasting tray – my son Josh lovingly refers to it as ‘road-kill chicken’.

Serves 4

● 1.6kg (3lb 8oz) chicken, spatchcocked – see tip across the bottom of pages 72-73 or ask your butcher to do this for you

● 3tbsp olive oil

● 2 garlic bulbs, cut in half horizontally

● Salt and freshly ground black pepper

● 1 large fennel bulb, cut into 8 wedges

● A few sprigs of woody herbs such as thyme, lemon thyme, rosemary and bay leaves

● 200g (7oz) cherry tomatoes on the vine, cut into small bunches

● 3tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Once the chicken is spatchcocked, drizzle a little olive oil over the chicken skin, then rub one of the halved garlic bulbs all over. Season well with salt and pepper.

Heat a little olive oil in a large ovenproof pan and brown the chicken, skin-side down. You can use the lid of a casserole dish to help press it flat. Once golden brown, turn it over so that it is skin-side up. Add the garlic, fennel and herbs, then drizzle with olive oil. Place the pan in the oven for 30 minutes, then add the tomatoes and drizzle the chicken with balsamic vinegar.

Roast for a further 5-10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving with any pan juices drizzled all over the top, and the fennel, garlic and tomatoes alongside.