Lemon & thyme roast chicken with veggie bulgur wheat

• 1 large red pepper
• 100g ripe cherry tomatoes
• a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 large aubergine
• 1 large red onion
• 5 cloves of garlic
• olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon
• 1.6kg higher-welfare chicken
• ½ a bunch of fresh thyme
• 150ml white wine
• 200g bulgur wheat

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Halve, deseed and roughly chop the pepper. Place in a roaster tray along with the cherry tomatoes, then strip in the rosemary leaves. Slice the aubergine into 3cm chunks, peel and chop the onions into 2cm wedges and add them all to the tray. Throw in the unpeeled garlic cloves, drizzle with a good lug of oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, then toss together and spread out into an even layer.

Finely grate the lemon zest over the chicken, season lightly, then drizzle with a lug of oil. Rub the flavours all over, and stuff the cavity with most of the thyme and half the lemon. Place the roasting rack in the tray, pop the chicken on top and strip over the remaining thyme leaves. Roast the chicken for 40 minutes, then remove from the oven.

Baste the chicken with the juices from the tray, then pour in the wine. Pop back in the oven and roast for a further 40 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through. To check, insert a knife into the thickest part of the thigh – if the juices run clear and the meat pulls away from the bone, you know it’s done. Meanwhile, cook the bulgur wheat according to packet instructions.

When the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven, loosely cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Toss the roasted veg with the cooked bulgur wheat and serve up with the chicken and a lovely crisp green salad.