I’ve always been a fan of this particular butter. It’s simple to make, keeps in the fridge for ages, and has so, so much flavour. Sometimes I just spread it on hot toast, or stir it through freshly cooked spaghetti, but it’s completely irresistible if you pair it with a good roast chicken. The anchovies (I like fish4ever) work beautifully here, and are far from fishy. Rather, they develop a deep savoury rich depth which works so nicely with the chilli, garlic and rosemary. At this time of year, new potatoes are just the thing, but later on you could use larger white potatoes and the dish would be equally delicious.
Serves 4
free-range chicken 1 large, about 1.5-2kg
butter 75g, softened
salted anchovy fillets in oil 8-10, roughly chopped
dried chilli flakes 1 tsp (or less if you prefer)
rosemary 6-8 sprigs, leaves of 2 sprigs stripped and chopped
garlic 2-3 cloves, grated
new potatoes 1.5kg, scrubbed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
