This roast chicken is the first dish I taught my older children how to make.  It's delicious and it's foolproof. The chicken is succulent, the skin is golden and crispy and it's bathed in a wonderful garlicky, lemony glaze. It's perfect for a crowd as there's no fussing or last minute panic with the sauce.  It's also a VERY economical dish, I like using the dark meat thighs and legs for this as I think it has more flavor.  If you only eat white meat, just go for split breasts and cut them in half. 

Here's what you'll need for your easy crowd pleaser;

1 1/2 - 2 lbs of chicken (thighs or legs - or both) bone in and skin on.

2 onions, quartered

4 - 6 lemons zested and juiced

2 cups of white wine

1 bulb of garlic, cloves separated on skins left on

olive oil

salt and pepper

a couple of handful of fresh herbs (I used oregano here)

Heat the oven to 425F

Whisk the lemon juice, zest, chopped herbs and olive oil together.

Rub the lemon juice mixture all over the chicken pieces.  You can leave them in the fridge to marinate overnight  if you want, or just go full speed ahead and cook them immediately.

Place the chicken pieces in a roasting pan.

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Cut up the onions and place in the pan.

Pour the wine into the pan.

Roughly chop more herbs and tuck them around the chicken. Do the same with the juiced and zested lemon skins.

Break the garlic bulb into cloves leaving the skin on, rub well with olive oil and place around the chicken.

Season with more salt and pepper.

Put in the oven, uncovered and roast for about an hour or until the chicken is golden and cooked through.

Remove from the oven, cover and let rest for approx 10-15 minutes.

Before serving, add more chopped herbs and a further sprinkle of salt.  Serve with a nice green, such as broccoli rabe, or green beans.  Don't forget to squeeze the garlic out of their skins and smear onto the chicken, it will be a lovely sweet flavor.