(Serves 4)

1 free-range chicken
1 or 2 sour oranges
Gozo sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
Parsley stalks
Selection of root vegetables – see recipe
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsps Spanish brandy
4 tbsps dry Amontillado or Oloroso sherry

Trim off any excess fat from the bird. Peel the zest from the orange and put it in the cavity. Halve the orange, discard the seeds and squeeze out the juice. Rub the bird all over with the cut orange and season it. Put the bay-leaves and parsley stalks inside the cavity.

Peel the vegetables and cut into even-sized pieces, about the size of a cork. Use whatever is available, for example parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes, kohlrabi, carrots, celeriac and small turnips. Pumpkin is also a very good addition.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the vegetables all over. Transfer them to a casserole. In the same pan, brown the bird all over and place it on top of the vegetables. Pour the brandy over the bird and, standing well back, light it. Deglaze the frying pan with sherry and the orange juice, and pour the juices over the bird. Cover and cook in a pre-heated oven at 180°C, gas mark 4 for about an hour.

Joint the chicken and serve it with the vegetables. Strain the juice into a jug and serve separately. It can be enriched with cream, if you like. A bunch of rocket or flat-leaf parsley will brighten up the dish, as will a few wedges of orange.