The tenderest chicken with green salad and garlic potatoes

Serves 8

• 1 litre buttermilk
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 large chickens
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Step 1
The buttermilk marinade stops the flesh from drying and turning stringy, even after it has been blitzed in a hot oven.

Step 2
Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl and stir in the garlic, mustard and soy.

Step 3
(You may find this easier to do in 2 batches in separate dishes) Add the chicken pieces, turning to cover, and then pour the entire contents into 2 plastic bags and tie with elastic bands.

Step 4
Leave in a cool larder for about 8 hours – longer if in the fridge as the flavours take longer to steep the colder it is.

Step 5
Remove the chicken from the marinade and wipe totally dry with kitchen towel.

Step 6
Preheat the oven to 210C/gas mark 7.

Step 7
Melt the butter and stir in the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Step 8
Arrange the chicken, skin side up, on 2 oiled baking trays, brush over with the melted butter and oil, mixed, and put in to cook.

Step 9
Poke and test.

Step 10
I tend to give the brown meat portions 30-40 minutes, breasts 20-25.

Step 11
Either take the breasts out first and keep them warm, or put the thighs and legs in 10 or so minutes before the breasts.

Step 12
Get 2 heads garlic and throw the cloves, separated but unpeeled (or use garlic-infused oil), with the potatoes into a roasting dish.

Step 13
Slick the potatoes and garlic with oil and cook at 210C/gas mark 7 for 60-70 minutes.

Step 14
When you take them out of the oven, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and fresh chopped parsley.