Whole roast chicken with lemon, garlic & potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, 1.6–2 kg
• 1 kg medium potatoes
• 1 lemon
• 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1½ tsp salt (1 for the chicken, ½ for the potatoes)
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ cup water

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (conventional; 190°C fan).
2. Cut the potatoes into roughly 4 cm chunks, toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and ½ tsp salt, and spread in a single layer in a large roasting pan (about 30×40 cm) with space between them, so they roast rather than steam.
3. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels. Mix 2 tbsp olive oil with 1 tsp salt, the pepper, paprika and thyme, and rub it over the outside of the chicken. Halve the lemon and put one half inside the cavity with half the garlic.
4. Place the chicken breast-side up in the middle of the pan, add the other half of the garlic to the pan and pour ½ cup water into the bottom.
5. Roast according to weight: about 65–75 minutes for a 1.6 kg chicken and about 80–90 minutes for a 2 kg chicken. After 40 minutes, baste with the pan juices and stir the potatoes. If the skin browns too quickly, cover the chicken loosely with foil.
6. Check doneness with a food thermometer: at least 74°C (165°F) in the innermost, thickest part of the thigh (not touching bone) and in the thickest part of the breast. If it isn't there yet, keep roasting and check again every 10 minutes.
7. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 10–15 minutes. Carve, squeeze the other lemon half over the top and serve with the potatoes.