Roast Chicken & Sticky Shallots With Stuffing Breadcrumbs

Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 mins before you want to cook it, to let it come up to room temperature. Heat the oven to 190°C.

Grab a large rimmed roasting tray and drizzle enough oil to cover the base of the pan.

Halve and peel the shallots then place them face down into a roasting tray, along with half of a lemon, cut-side down. Remove the top of the garlic, drizzle with oil and wrap in tin foil, then place in the corner of the baking tray.

Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper, then using your fingers, get under the skin of the chicken gently lifting it up to create a space. Rub the butter into this space making sure it's spread all over. Fill the cavity with the remaining lemon half and a handful of thyme. Season the chicken skin generously with salt, then place the whole chicken on a rack above the tray of shallots on the shelf below. Roast for 1 hour 20 mins.

Meanwhile, tear the bread into chunks and finely chop the sage. Toss the bread in olive oil, sage, onion salt, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Add the bread to the tray of shallots and cook for the final 20 mins until golden.

When the cooking time is up, remove the chicken from the oven and set aside to rest. Remove the lemon from the roasting tray and squeeze over the kale with a pinch of salt. Using your hands, massage the kale until wilted.

Take the pan juices and strain into a jug, then whisk in sherry vinegar and olive oil to emulsify. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Cut the remaining lemon into wedges. Carve the chicken and plate up with the croutons, sticky shallots and roasted garlic. Scatter with parsley, serve with the lemony kale and drizzle with the chicken fat vinaigrette.