John Torode's Chicken with Olives and Lemons

This is a very easy, but satisfying, full-of-flavour roast chicken.

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 170°C/gas 3. Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper and fill the cavity with most of the lemons and olives. Give it a good shake.Take a very big cast-iron casserole dish and put the potatoes in the bottom. Mix the oil with the rest of the lemons and olives and squash them a bit.
   
   Put the chicken in the casserole on top of the potatoes and pour the oil and lemon mixture over it, letting the bits roll off onto the spuds. Season well, then put the casserole in the oven and shut the door for at least 1½ hours.
   
   Check the chicken is cooked by sticking a skewer between the legs and breast: if the juice that runs out is clear then it is cooked, otherwise put it back in the oven. When done, lift the chicken from the dish and carefully pour all the bits from inside the cavity over the potatoes.
   
   Place the dish over a high heat and bring to the boil while you cut the chicken into big hunks. Add the chicken pieces back to the casserole along with any juices, turn off the heat and take the whole lot to the table.