Chicken with orzo & roasted garlic aioli

Peel the loose skin from the garlic bulbs. Slice the root ends off, then coat in a drizzle of olive oil plus a pinch of salt. Wrap 1 bulb in foil. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4; put the wrapped bulb in the oven as it heats up. Put the chicken in a roasting tin, rub all over with oil, then sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper over the breast side, including the legs. Push the 2 remaining garlic bulbs into the cavity along with the lemon half, giving it a squeeze as it goes in so that some of the juice goes in the cavity. Roast the chicken for 1 hour 25 minutes until cooked through with no pink meat and the juices run clear. After 30 minutes, remove the foil-covered garlic from the oven; carefully open the foil so it cools.

While the chicken is roasting, heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan. Add the shallots and fry until soft (about 10 minutes), then add the orzo. Stir to coat in the oil, then add the chicken stock. Cover and cook for around 15 minutes until the orzo is soft, stirring occasionally, then stir through ²⁄³ of the thyme.

To make the aioli, put the yolk and flavourless oil of your choice in a blender. Whizz together to make a mayonnaise, then add the mustard and a pinch of salt. Squeeze the roasted garlic into a bowl, mash with a fork, then stir through the mayonnaise (you can use store-bought mayonnaise if you prefer).

When the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a board and allow to rest. Take out the garlic and lemon; discard the lemon. (If you want to eat the garlic, cut it in half and pan-fry briefly until lightly charred to serve alongside the chicken. Otherwise, discard.) Spread the orzo out on a serving platter, sit the chicken on top and sprinkle over the remaining thyme. Serve with the aioli on the side, plus greens or salad if liked.