600g/1lb 5oz baby potatoes
1 whole chicken (about 1.8kg/4lbs)
1 brown onion
4 cloves garlic
12 pieces marinated artichoke
10 sprigs thyme
A generous drizzle of olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 lemon
40g/2½tbsp butter, softened
There is nothing I find as mouth-watering as the smell of a chicken cooking in the oven. This is a take on the dish Marge Sherwood serves to Tom Ripley when he arrives out of the blue at the house she shares with Dickie. The story quickly becomes a tense thriller, but in these early pages, Tom is welcomed into their home with a chicken dinner. What a welcome.
Serves 6 (or fewer, with generous leftovers)
1. Par-boil the potatoes for 10 minutes until tender, but not soft. Drain and set aside.
2. Prepare the chicken. Place it breast-side down and cut down either side of the backbone; kitchen scissors are good for this. Remove the backbone (keep it for making stock), and flip the chicken over. Spread it out and press down on the breastbone with the heel of your hand to flatten.
3. Slice the onion and place in the bottom of a roasting dish. Add the garlic cloves, whole. Place the chicken into the dish, breast-side up.
4. Add the potatoes and artichokes. Poke the thyme stalks in between the potatoes. Drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and a big squeeze of lemon.
5. Rub the butter over the chicken skin, and season. Transfer the dish to an oven preheated to 200C fan/425F/gas 7. Alternatively, cover it with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for up to a day.
6. Roast the chicken for 45 minutes. To test if it is done, poke a skewer into the biggest part of the thigh; the juices should run clear. Remove from the oven, allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes under foil, then carve and serve with the potatoes and artichokes. A crisp green salad alongside is ideal.