Serves 4-6
1 large chicken
2 lemons, zest and juice
1 bulb garlic
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1tbsp butter
salt and pepper
2 onions
3tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling
2 leeks
5 slices white bread, no crusts
fresh parsley
fresh sage
1 medium egg, beaten
6 rashers, smoked streaky bacon
1tbsp plain flour
100ml dry white wine
300ml chicken stock
Preheat the oven to 200, gas mark 6. Remove the elasticated string from the chicken and sit it in a heavy based roasting tin. Finely grate the zest from the lemons, then set the zest aside. Halve one lemon and put 1/2 inside the chicken cavity. Halve the garlic bulb and put 1/2 in the chicken, along with 2 thyme springs. Re-tie the legs. Smear butter over the breast and legs, season and scatter on a few thyme leaves. Thickly slice 1 onion and scatter around the chicken. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the oil and roast for 1 1/2 hours - drizzle the remaining garlic with oil and add it to the tin after 45 mins.
Trim the leeks and thinly slice the white and pale green part. Thinly slice the second onion. Cover and cook the onions and leeks with the remaining oil over a low heat for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Tear the bread into big chunks and put them in a food processor with the parsley, sage and remaining thyme leaves. Pulse to make fine breadcrumbs.
Stir the breadcrumbs, zest, juice and egg into the cooked leeks and onions. Season, set aside and allow to cool for 5-10 mins.
Stretch each rasher a little with a knife, then halve them to make 12 pieces. Lightly oil a baking tray. Shape the stuffing into golfball sized balls, then wrap each one in a piece of bacon. Put the balls on the tray with the loose bacon ends facing down so that they don't unravel as the stuffing cooks.
When the chicken is ready, transfer to a serving board. Catch any juices that come out of the chicken in the tin. Leave the chicken to rest for 20-30 mins, but don't cover it, or the skin will go soggy. Don't worry, it will stay hot. Meanwhile cook the stuffing balls in the oven at 220, gas mark 7 for 20 mins. Spoon away any excess fat from the roasting tin, then set it over a low heat. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 2 mins, stirring constantly to make a thick paste. Add the wine, stir and let it boil until you have a smooth mix. Gradually add the stock, still stirring all the time, until you have a thin, lump free gravy. Keep stirring and simmering until the gravy thickens. Strain into a warmed jug and cover top to keep in the heat. Press the onion against the mesh of the sieve, to extract as much of its flavour as you can. Make sure to add in any resting juices that have collected under the chicken too.
Place the chicken on a serving plate surrounded but the stuffing, along with the gravy and soft roasted garlic, ready to squeeze onto your plate and mash into the juices.
1 large chicken
2 lemons, zest and juice
1 bulb garlic
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1tbsp butter
salt and pepper
2 onions
3tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling
2 leeks
5 slices white bread, no crusts
fresh parsley
fresh sage
1 medium egg, beaten
6 rashers, smoked streaky bacon
1tbsp plain flour
100ml dry white wine
300ml chicken stock
Preheat the oven to 200, gas mark 6. Remove the elasticated string from the chicken and sit it in a heavy based roasting tin. Finely grate the zest from the lemons, then set the zest aside. Halve one lemon and put 1/2 inside the chicken cavity. Halve the garlic bulb and put 1/2 in the chicken, along with 2 thyme springs. Re-tie the legs. Smear butter over the breast and legs, season and scatter on a few thyme leaves. Thickly slice 1 onion and scatter around the chicken. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the oil and roast for 1 1/2 hours - drizzle the remaining garlic with oil and add it to the tin after 45 mins.
Trim the leeks and thinly slice the white and pale green part. Thinly slice the second onion. Cover and cook the onions and leeks with the remaining oil over a low heat for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Tear the bread into big chunks and put them in a food processor with the parsley, sage and remaining thyme leaves. Pulse to make fine breadcrumbs.
Stir the breadcrumbs, zest, juice and egg into the cooked leeks and onions. Season, set aside and allow to cool for 5-10 mins.
Stretch each rasher a little with a knife, then halve them to make 12 pieces. Lightly oil a baking tray. Shape the stuffing into golfball sized balls, then wrap each one in a piece of bacon. Put the balls on the tray with the loose bacon ends facing down so that they don't unravel as the stuffing cooks.
When the chicken is ready, transfer to a serving board. Catch any juices that come out of the chicken in the tin. Leave the chicken to rest for 20-30 mins, but don't cover it, or the skin will go soggy. Don't worry, it will stay hot. Meanwhile cook the stuffing balls in the oven at 220, gas mark 7 for 20 mins. Spoon away any excess fat from the roasting tin, then set it over a low heat. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 2 mins, stirring constantly to make a thick paste. Add the wine, stir and let it boil until you have a smooth mix. Gradually add the stock, still stirring all the time, until you have a thin, lump free gravy. Keep stirring and simmering until the gravy thickens. Strain into a warmed jug and cover top to keep in the heat. Press the onion against the mesh of the sieve, to extract as much of its flavour as you can. Make sure to add in any resting juices that have collected under the chicken too.
Place the chicken on a serving plate surrounded but the stuffing, along with the gravy and soft roasted garlic, ready to squeeze onto your plate and mash into the juices.
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