Braising is the ideal way to cook a chicken because it keeps all the meat deliciously moist and adding just a few herbs means you have a flavourful broth to go with your meal.

1 x good quality chicken – I used a whole Bostocks organic

2 tsps sea salt

2 tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

Splash of olive oil

6-8 whole black peppercorns 

2 cups stock – vege or chicken (I use the salt-reduced Continental chicken)

½ cup white wine

200g chargrilled artichokes

• Heat oven to 170 C.
• Prepare the chicken by removing any excess fat and patting dry the cavity and sprinkling it with 1 tsp each of sea salt and dried thyme.
• Splash oil into an oven proof dish that’s large enough to take the whole chicken.
• Place chicken in dish, adding remaining salt, thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns  and pouring stock and wine around the chook – it should come about a third or half way up. Scatter artichokes around too.
• Cover or seal with foil and cook for 1 ½ - 2 hours.
• Leave to sit, covered, for 20-30 minutes before serving.
• Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and salad.