Garlic butter will bring a simple family meal to life, but make it, do not buy as the price is almost double. Once made, keep the butter well-wrapped in foil or a non-plastic dish with a secure lid. Garlic will seep into plastic a leave a 'forever' taint. Roasting a whole chicken is inexpensive, feeds 5-6 people easily, and requires very little work to prepare.

Ingredients

• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 100 grams butter, softened
• a little chopped parsley is optional
• 1 whole chicken about 1.8 kg
• 2-3 large orange-fleshed kumara, peeled
• 3-4 parsnips, peeled
• 5-6 baby onions, peeled
• herbs to garnish, optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a shallow-sided oven tray with baking paper.
2. Crush the garlic cloves with the blade of a heavy cook's knife. Peel the garlic and chop roughly. Sprinkle with salt - just a little- and continue to chop with the knife before pressing the sharp edge of the blade over the chopped garlic to flatten and mash the garlic to a paste. The salt will cause the garlic to soften to a pulp. Take the butter and, using your knife, work the butter and garlic together. If wished, a little chopped parsley can be added.
3. Place the chicken breast-side down on a chopping board. With a pair of kitchen scissors or a heavy knife, cut down one side of the backbone. If you wish, you can cut down the other side of the backbone and remove it altogether, but that is optional for this recipe. Turn the chicken over so that it is breast side up and press on the breast with the palm of your hands to flatten the chicken. Transfer to the prepared tray.
4. Run your thumb under the skin of the chicken - it's very easy to do - to lift the skin away from the meat. Using half the butter, divide into four portions and place one portion between the skin and meat of each breast and leg, and thigh area.
5. Cut the vegetables into large pieces. Here you have to assess that each piece should take the same length of cooking time as the chicken, so big chunks for the kumara, and parsnip, and leave the baby onions whole. Any vegetables that you can roast can be added here - potatoes, carrots, and, pumpkin. Spread or dot the remaining butter over the vegetables. Season everything with pepper and salt.
6. Place into the preheated oven and allow to cook for 75 minutes. Turn the vegetables after 15 minutes and then again at about one hour. This will ensure the vegetables are coated in the garlic butter and roast up to a delicious golden brown colour. Serve with a garnish of fresh herbs if wished. Easy as.