1. How to roast chicken and turkey without a thermometer
2. How to truss a chicken without a needle
3. How to make French-and American-style gravies
4. How to stuff chicken under the skin
5. How to use garlic and foie gras to finish sauces

When I’m feeling lazy or rushed and don’t want to make a big to-do in the kitchen, I roast a chicken, my equivalent to a TV dinner. I put the chicken in a 450°F[230°C/gas mark 8] oven for 50 minutes, until the skin’s crispy and brown and the juices that accumulate in the cavity are no longer pink, and I serve and eat.