Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the wings off just below the joint. (If necessary please also remove the feet and neck…)

Make sure that the cavity of the chicken is clean. This means you need to remove any renegade organs/innards. If you’re squeamish, I recommend wrapping your hand in some paper towel and then swiping the cavity a few times. Season the cavity with a couple pinches of salt and a pinch of pepper. Then add your two crushed garlic cloves (just smack the cloves with a knife, no need to peel them!), and a couple sprigs of thyme.

Rub the chicken’s skin lightly with oil. (This will help the skin to crisp). Season with salt and pepper.

Peel your carrots, celery, and onion, and then chop each mirepoix- this is a fancy French term that I shall poetically translate as “rough cubes.”

Chop the chicken wings into small pieces. (This is best done with a cleaver, but a sharp knife will also do).

Heat some oil in a saucepan, and when it is very hot (spitting), add the chicken wings. Keep on the heat until they are a golden brown, stirring intermittently. Remove from heat.

Place the chicken in a roasting dish on its side. Add 1 or 2 slices of butter to the skin and put the bird in the oven.

After 15 minutes turn your chicken onto its other side and baste it with some of its juices. (You don’t even need a baster! Just use a spoon to collect the juice and pour it over the chicken).

After another 15 minutes, add the vegetables and browned chicken wings to the roasting pan. Place the chicken breast-side up on top of the garnish. Cook for 20 more minutes. Boom! Remove your chicken from the oven and cover with aluminum foil until ready to serve.

Strain the fat from the chicken wings and vegetables that were roasted with your chicken.

Brown the trimmings in a saucepan on medium to high heat. When brown, deglaze the pan with a little white wine (or water). This should clean the bottom of the pan and help the trimmings to absorb flavor.

Add water to cover the trimmings and allow to simmer for at least 10 minutes.

Strain the jus with a fine mesh strainer, and keep on the heat to reduce until it has a slightly syrupy texture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Each bird serves four people. There will be two thighs and two breasts (just stating the obvious).

Remove the thighs first, cutting gently around the thigh joint (what most people thing of as the drumstick), and pull the meat away from the carcass.

To remove the breasts, cut along the center line of your chicken. Once you find the spine, cut on either side of it to remove the breast meat. Just follow the line of the bones with your knife.