Method

Wash the chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.Thoroughly rub the inside of the cavity with half a handful of the kitchen salt. Roll the lemon around until soft and pierce all over with a skewer and push up inside the cavity.

Squash the garlic cloves with the flat of a knife and push up around the lemon. Jam in as much as you can of the herbs. Cut a slit in one side of the loose skin flap around the cavity and pull the knuckle of the opposite leg through and tie the other knuckle to it. Fold the wings against the breast and tie a string around the bird to hold the wings. Rub the skin with a little of the duck fat or olive oil. Liberally cover with salt flakes and ground pepper and pat into the skin. Place on a tray in a roasting dish. Put in the oven at 250C leave for a few minutes and turn down to 170C cook for just under an hour until the skin is golden.

Put the chicken onto a serving plate wrapped in foil. Put the pan back on heat and sprinkle in the flour and move around until colouring. Deglaze the pan with a slosh of the white wine and scrape into it the flour and browning bits.

Add in the chicken stock bit by bit and keep stirring until consistency of pouring cream. Correct the seasoning and mix in the juices from the resting chicken.