We Brits love our roast dinners our Sunday tradition. Once it was a time when the whole family sat down for a meal and chat about the past week and the week to come, a setting up for the week to come. Not as many families do this now and often it sat in front of the TV, sad.
I have never been a fan of potatoes, one of the easiest things to give up on this way of eating, but I did like roast potatoes with my Sunday dinner. Some alternatives are parsnips, celeriac, turnip and swede. I like Mediterranean style roast vegetables or just cauliflower cheese with mine or I will have a selection of steamed vegetables. Sometimes I have the cabbage and bacon dish but with Brussel sprouts, love Brussels. Make your own mind up as to what you like and what's in season..

ROAST CHICKEN
Ingredients

1 chicken
3-4 tbsp unsalted butter
3-4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, halved
1 -2 tsp herbs of your choice, (rosemary, thyme are good)
Salt and pepper to season

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200c with shelf in the centre.
Dry the chicken. (The drier the chicken, the crispier the skin.)
Place the chicken in a roasting pan, baking dish or cast iron skillet.
Melt the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Brush the melted garlic butter all over the chicken.
Season the chicken liberally all over (including inside the cavity) with salt and pepper.
Place the two lemon halves and the herbs inside the cavity.
Roast the chicken for about 1 hour, basting it every 15 minutes with the pan juices
Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. (When testing the temperature with a meat thermometer, insert it into the breast but do not touch the bone for the most accurate reading.)
Rotate the pan after every time you baste the chicken to guarantee even cooking.
Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

NOTE:
It's important to baste the chicken every 15 minutes so that the minced garlic stays moist and doesn't burn. If you don't want to baste the chicken as frequently, simply smash the cloves of garlic (rather than mince them) and place them inside the cavity of the chicken then baste the chicken two to three times while it's roasting.