Method

• 1.
  For the brine, place all ingredients in a large saucepan with 2.5L water and bring to the boil over high heat, stirring until salt dissolves. Transfer to a large bowl that will fit the brine and the chicken. Set brine aside to cool, then chill until cold. Add chicken to cold brine (do not add chicken to warm or hot brine) and chill overnight.
• 2.
  The next day, drain chicken and pat skin dry with paper towel. Place on a wire rack over a tray and chill, uncovered, for at least 5 hours for skin to dry out (this helps the skin crisp up when roasted in the oven).
• 3.
  Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced.
• 4.
  Place the bread on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, or until crisp. Set aside to cool, then break into chunks.
• 5.
  Place the chicken in a flameproof baking tray. Melt some of the chicken fat and rub it all over the chicken (don’t use too much; you just want to get a light shine on the bird before it goes in the oven). Season generously with salt flakes. Roast for 1 hour, or until cooked – juices should run clear when pierced with a skewer in the thickest part of the thigh. About 10 minutes before the chicken is finished, place the croutons in the pan with the chicken to soak up any fat.
• 6.
  Meanwhile, place sliced potato in a large bowl of water to remove excess starch. Drain, place in a large saucepan of water, and bring to the boil over high heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until just starting to soften. Drain and pat dry with paper towel. Transfer to a very large frypan and arrange slices in a single layer. Add enough remaining chicken fat to form a 1cm-thick layer in base of pan. Cook potatoes over medium-high heat for 12 minutes each side, or until golden and tender when pierced with a skewer. Carefully drain through a large metal colander over a heatproof bowl to catch the fat (see recipe notes). Season potatoes generously with salt flakes and place in the hot oven to keep warm.
• 7.
  Remove chicken from baking tray, reserving all the pan juices in tray. Stand chicken on a plate, loosely covered, to rest for 10 minutes, then cut into 8-10 pieces. Add wine to baking tray, along with any resting juices from the chicken, scrape base of tray with a spoon, and cook over medium heat for 1 minute.
• 8.
  Place potatoes on a large serving tray to create a flat bed. Toss chicken, croutons, tray juices, lemon juice, herbs and garlic in a large bowl, then arrange on top of the potatoes so the juices drip down and sauce the potatoes. Serve immediately.