This recipe is inspired by chef Thomas Keller's version from his book Bouchon. For a more indulgent version he removes the bird after roasting and adds a knob of butter and chopped thyme to the juices left behind. This is then used to baste the bird before serving. Here's the guilt-free option...

Ingredients
1 free-range chicken
Salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper

Method Preheat oven to 230 degrees. Remove chicken from packaging and rinse well. Dry the chicken very well, including the inside cavity, using paper towels.
The idea is to get the chicken as dry as possible and not add anything that will create steam in the oven, such as lemon juice or olive oil, which will mean the bird steams rather than roasts.
Truss the feet together and tuck the wing-tips under the bird for even roasting. Place in a roasting tray and sprinkle liberally with salt – do this from a height to ensure even coating. Add a few grinds of black pepper. Place in the pre-heated oven for an hour. Don’t be tempted to open the oven during cooking as this will let the heat escape. The skin should be very brown and crisp. Allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes, baste with pan juices and carve.

Serves 4. Per 240g serving: 1 130kJ, 6g fat (1.5g saturated), 470mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g fibre, 0g sugars, 49g protein.