PREPARE: Heat the oven to 150°C / 300°F / Gas 2. (Do not use fan bake or convection oven setting, it will dry out the meat). Line an oven tray with baking paper and place a roasting rack on top.

REMOVE BACKBONE: Pat the chicken dry with paper towel, then place on a cutting board breast-side down. Use a small, sharp knife to cut through the skin on either side of the back bone, then use poultry or kitchen shears or a large, heavy knife to cut through the bone. Discard the backbone.

TIDY CHICKEN: Turn the chicken over and cut through the breast bone - I cut any remaining breast bone away from the chicken and discard - this makes it much easier to eat. If you like, trim off the wing tips.

MAKE GLAZE: Stir together the oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt, chilli flakes and a few grinds of black pepper. Lay the chicken halves on the rack, then rub the spice mixture generously and thoroughly over the chicken, front and back. Don't forget under the drumsticks and wings.

ROAST CHICKEN: Roast the chicken in the oven for 2 hours until dark golden brown. After the first hour, baste the chicken occasionally with the oil that has dripped from the chicken. I find that the skin is lovely and crispy, however for extra crispy skin either turn the oven right up for an extra 5 minutes of cooking time or turn the grill/broiler on until the skin is crisped to your liking.

REST THEN SERVE: Allow the chicken to rest on a warm plate for 5-10 minutes before serving with potato salad, french fries or coleslaw and a slice of lemon.