Chicken continues to be the nation’s favourite choice of meat, so it’s hardly surprising I’m regularly asked for advice and new ways with Britain’s top bird. First things first: food only tastes as good as the ingredients you are cooking with, so start with the best you can afford. For years, chefs have considered poulets de Bresse the best in the world, but we have some excellent breeds of our own, including my favourite, the Label Anglais. They are left to peck away for at least 80 days (the average supermarket chicken is slaughtered at 39 days) giving their succulent flesh a strong, rich flavour. They don’t come cheap, at around £10 a bird; if you can’t stretch that far, go for any decent British free-range chicken.

As with all meat, a whole bird or large joint is always more economical and versatile than buying a smaller, prepared cut. While you may not have the knowledge or knife skills to joint a whole chicken, there are ways to make a Sunday roast go a lot further, as this week’s recipes will demonstrate. And for goodness’ sake, don’t throw away the carcass. Get into the habit of making chicken stock with it: a good stock makes all the difference.

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