Whole roast chicken with smoked bacon lattice

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Put the onion rounds and peeled garlic cloves in a roasting tin and top with ½ the rosemary and the chopped bacon. Sit the chicken on top and season, making sure the garlic and bacon are tucked in underneath.

Wrap a bacon rasher around each drumstick, then drape the remaining rashers over the rest of the chicken, overlapping as you go, to form a lattice pattern. Put the remaining rosemary and the butter into the cavity of the chicken, then pour the white wine around it. Cover the whole tin with foil and roast for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and roast for a further 20 minutes, then remove the tin from the oven and carefully tip it slightly so that the juices run out of the chicken cavity. Baste the chicken with the juices and return to the oven for 20-25 minutes, covering loosely with foil if the bacon starts to get too crispy. Check the chicken is cooked by inserting a knife into the thickest part of the thigh – the juices should run clear and there should be no pink meat. If not, return the chicken to the oven until fully cooked.

Carefully lift the chicken and tip it to let the juices run into the tin. Transfer the chicken and onions to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. As it rests, put the roasting tin on the hob over a medium heat. Mash the garlic cloves and stir, loosening any bits stuck to the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the plain flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then slowly pour in the stock, stirring. Bring to the boil and simmer until the gravy reaches your desired thickness. Remove the woody rosemary stalks and add any resting juices from the chicken, then season. Serve the roast chicken with the gravy and trimmings of your choice.