Roast chicken salad with sweetcorn and beans

1.Preheat oven to 180°C (fan-bake). Remove any fat from inside chicken cavity, then rinse inside and out with running water. Drain briefly and pat dry with paper towels. Put orange rind and a sprig of tarragon in cavity.

2.Mix just a little more than half the butter with the chopped tarragon, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Slip your fingers between the chicken skin and breast meat to form two pockets, squeeze in the herb butter and massage it gently until smooth. Tie chicken legs and parson’s nose together then loop the string around the chicken and tie in a bow (the bow makes it easier to remove the string).

3.Transfer chicken to a roasting tin that fits it snugly, smear the top with the remaining butter and sprinkle with sea salt. Pour 1 cup of stock around chicken. Strew with remaining tarragon sprigs and drape with a piece of baking paper. Roast chicken for 1 1/2 hours, discarding paper after 30 minutes, then baste often, adding more stock as required to prevent juices scorching. Remove chicken from oven and leave in the roasting tin to cool for 45-60 minutes.

4.Increase oven temperature to 225°C (fan-bake). Cut tomatoes in half and place cut side up in a shallow roasting tin (I use a swiss roll tin) lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with sea salt and caster sugar then drizzle with oil. Bake tomatoes for about 20 minutes or until collapsed and showing signs of light charring.

5.Make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients.

6.Strip corn cobs of leaves and boil cobs for 10 minutes in unsalted water. Drain, drape with paper towels and cool. When cool enough to handle, slice kernels off the cobs with a sharp knife. Trim beans, cut in half and cook for a few minutes in a pot of boiling, salted water. Drain.

7.Remove chicken from tin and take off the string. Pull chicken apart into joints; where possible slip out the bones. Cut the breast meat.

8.Put prepared lettuce on a large platter, then chicken pieces, beans, tomatoes and corn. Re-whisk dressing and spoon on top. Toss everything very gently, just once or twice, then serve. To make the meal go further, serve with chargrilled bread or steamed baby potatoes.