Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Unwrap the chicken and remove the giblets (see our tip for using them to make an easy stock). Set the chicken aside for 30 mins-1 hr to come up to room temperature.

Trim the roots and top 3cm off the leeks, then halve them, rinse out any grit and finely slice them. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Halve the dates and discard the stones. Scatter the leeks, garlic and dates into a large casserole dish or roasting tin. Set the chicken on top and season with salt and pepper.

Halve the lemon and tuck 1 half into the chicken’s cavity, along with half the thyme sprigs. You can add the chicken neck from the giblet pack for extra richness, if you like.

Pour 600ml cold water into the dish. Pop a lid on the dish or cover with a double layer of foil, scrunching it to the sides to seal.

Roast for 1 hr, then remove the lid or foil off and roast 20-30 mins more to brown the chicken breast. To check if the chicken is cooked through, pierce the thickest part of a thigh with a knife or skewer. The juices should run clear – if not, roast for another 10 mins and check again.

When it’s cooked, lift the chicken out of the dish or tin and let it rest on a plate or board, loosely covered with foil, for 30 mins before carving. Keep the broth in the dish or tin.

Just before serving, add the zest and juice from the remaining lemon half and the leaves from the remaining thyme sprigs to the broth and warm it though. Serve the chicken with the warm broth.