Roast Chicken with Shallot Butter and Thyme Gravy

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan.

2. Start by making the shallot butter. Slice 1cm off the top of your garlic bulb. Peel and halve the shallots lengthways. Place on aluminium foil and pour the oil over the shallots and into the garlic bulb. Wrap the garlic and shallots in the foil, place on a baking tray, and roast for 35-40 minutes until the garlic is soft and caramelised. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

3. Increase the oven temperature to 210C/190C fan.

4. Squeeze the garlic into a bowl. Chop the shallots into a fine paste. Add the garlic, shallot paste, dried thyme and butter into a medium sized bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mash well with a fork until well combined.

5. Rub the butter over the chicken, under the skin, and inside the cavity. Squeeze over the juice of half of the lemon. Add the other half of the lemon into the cavity of the chicken. Tie the legs together with kitchen string.

6. Tip the onions and carrot into a roasting dish. Place the chicken breast side up on top of the veg. Roast for 1 hour and 20-30 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer, basting halfway through. Cover the chicken with foil it starts to brown too fast.

7. Let sit for 5 minutes before lifting the chicken out, allowing any juices to dribble into the roasting dish. Remove the lemon from the cavity using tongs. Transfer the chicken to a roasting platter and cover in foil for 10-15 minutes whilst you make the gravy.

8. Place the roasting dish over a low heat and stir through the flour and thyme. Sizzle until light brown. Gradually stir in the stock and heat for a few minutes until thickened to your liking. Add a splash of soy sauce and season to taste with salt, pepper, and an extra squeeze of lemon juice, if desired. Strain into a jug and serve with the chicken.