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INGER Sophie Ellis-Bextor enjoys cooking in the kitchen with her musician husband Richard Jones and says spaghetti bolognese reminds her of her own childhood.

She says: “Everyone does their spag bol a different way. My stepmum always put a lot of vegetables into hers – she used courgettes, carrots and peppers – but my mum (former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis) went with tomato, beef and lots of garlic. So the dish also reminds me of the two houses I grew up in after my parents split up when I was four.

“My mum’s house is in Ravenscourt Park, west London, and my dad lived in St Margarets, a 20-minute drive away. I wouldn’t say it was the ideal childhood, but my parents were both very good about making me feel loved. It all ended up really well because my parents both remarried, and I’m close to my step-parents and have brothers and sisters on both sides.

“My mum used to have big meals at the weekend when people came over. Weekends were important because, until I was eight, mum was working during the week on Blue Peter. Sometimes I went on the show – I remember they made a snood and I got to try it on. Another time they were doing something on asthma and I jumped about on a trampoline with loads of other kids.

“My dad, Robin, works in telly too, as a producer and director. When we travelled, I would always try exotic stuff. I remember having mussels and chips in the South of France. And when I was four, my mum spent six weeks in Africa with Blue Peter.

“My dad and I joined her for the last 10 days and I ate lobster and prawns.” Sophie and Richard, bassist with The Feeling, have four sons – 13-year-old Sonny, Kit, aged eight, Ray, aged five, and one-year-old Jesse. She says: “In our house, a really good roast is the ultimate thing – we all love it. Richard and I have silly jobs, so no two weeks are the same shape. “Dropping anchor and making things happen regularly so that there is consistency and a reassuring base is important to make the kids feel secure and happy. “Whenever we are home at weekends, we’re traditional and have a big Sunday lunch with Yorkshire puddings and the lot.” The 38-year-old singer says: “Richard and I always cook lunch together and we do the same for Christmas dinner. He is fantastic at roast potatoes and I do the vegetables. We both get on with our bits and bobs, and it means that, if we’ve a house full of people, it still feels relatively relaxed.” 1 onion, roughly chopped; 1 garlic bulb, cloves separated; 1 free-range chicken (about 1.5kg); 5 tbsp olive oil; small pack rosemary sprigs; 4 parsnips and 5 carrots, chopped into chunks; 2 sweet potatoes, chopped into chunks; 1 tbsp plain flour and 500ml chicken stock

Heat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Spread the onion and half the garlic cloves around the base of a large roasting tin. Pick the tops off the rosemary sprigs and set them aside, then stuff the remaining stalks into the chicken cavity and sit it on top of the onions. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of the oil and season. Cover with foil and roast for 80 minutes, removing the foil for the last 20 minutes.

Once the chicken is in, put the vegetables in a second roasting tin along with the remaining garlic and rosemary tops. Drizzle with the remaining oil, season and put in the oven below the chicken for 60/70 minutes or until soft and lightly browned.

Check the chicken is cooked by piercing the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer – the juices should run clear; if not, give it 10 more minutes then test again. Carefully remove from the roasting tin and rest it on a board 15-20 minutes.

As the chicken rests, keep the vegetables warm and make the gravy. Put the roasting tin with the onions on a hob over a low heat, add the flour, mix well until it forms a paste, then pour in the stock, stirring constantly until thickened. Simmer for 5 minutes, then season to taste. Strain into a gravy boat or heatproof jug and serve with the chicken, vegetables, cabbage and roast potatoes.