All-In-One Summer Chicken

Serves: to serve 4

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 50 Minutes

Ready In: 1 hr

3½ lb - chicken

2 lb - potatoes

1 head - garlic

2 tablespoons - olive oil

½ pint - chicken stock

1 - lemon

3 - courgettes (zucchini)

- salt and pepper

1 - red chilli

1 handful - basil leaves

Cut the chicken into 8 portions (2 legs, 2 thighs and 2 breasts - each cut in two) leaving the skin on (you can use the carcass to make a chicken stock). Place these portions, skin-side up, in a large roasting tin. Peel and wash the potatoes, cut them into bite-size pieces then add them to the tin. Break the head of garlic into cloves, very lightly crush them with your fingers then spread them (still with the skin on) among the chicken pieces. Drizzle over the olive oil then add the chicken stock and season well with salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Cut the lemon in two, squeeze the juice over the chicken and drop the empty 'skins' into the tin to add flavour.
Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (Mk 6 - 400ºF - 200ºC) for 30 minutes. Wash and cut the courgettes (zucchini) into thick batons and add these, plus the chilli (deseeded and sliced) to the tin. Cook for a further 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and golden, and the vegetables are tender. Roughly chop the basil leaves, stir them into the tin and serve.