I like the shops in France that sell chicken that has been spit-roasted with potatoes cooked underneath in the chicken drippings — great food. The following is in the French vein but the chicken is stuffed with fragrant herbed pork mince and wine-soaked breadcrumbs.
Ingredients
| 1 Tbsp | Butter |
| 1 large | Onion, grated |
| 3 | Garlic cloves, finely chopped |
| 300 g | Pork mince (Main) |
| 2 cups | Fresh breadcrumbs, made in the food processor |
| 300 ml | Dry white wine |
| 1 handful | Fresh sage |
| 1 | Lemon, zest only |
| ¼ cup | Plain unsweetened yoghurt, naturally thickened |
| 2 Tbsp | Chopped parsley |
| 1 7/20 kgs | Chicken, free range, wing tips cut off and discarded, chicken washed inside and out with cold water and dried with paper towels (Main) |
| 1 kg | Agria potato, peeled and cut into 4cm chunks (Main) |
| 3 Tbsp | Extra virgin olive oil |
| 1 Tbsp | Cornflour, dissolved in 2 Tbsp cold water |
| 2 handfuls | Watercress |
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Directions
- Heat the oven to 200C.
- Melt the butter in a frying pan over moderate heat and add the onion and garlic. Stir fry 3 minutes without browning, then remove from the heat, place in a mixing bowl and cool. Add the pork.
- Put the breadcrumbs and 100ml of the wine in a separate small bowl. Mix well then add to the onion and pork mixture.
- Add the sage, zest, yoghurt, parsley, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mix well (I do it with my hands) and stuff half into the chicken cavity.
- Form the other half of the stuffing into 6 balls.
- Pin the chicken cavity closed with a bamboo skewer. Tie the legs together at the ankles with natural fibre string and tie another length of string around the wings to keep them close to the body. Place chicken in a large roasting dish, breast side down.
- Place the balls of stuffing around the chicken. Put the potato chunks side by side around the chicken, sprinkle with salt and drizzle the oil over everything.
- Place in the oven for 45 minutes, basting frequently then turn the chicken on its back and roast for a further 45 minutes, basting frequently.
- Test the chicken to see if it is cooked by pushing a small knife into the middle of the cavity stuffing. If the knife is too hot to touch, the chicken is cooked.
- Remove from the oven and place the chicken and potatoes on a warm serving platter.
- Pour any fat from the roasting dish and place the dish over a high heat.
- Add the remaining wine, let it bubble and scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge any baked-on meat juices. Add 100ml water, bring to the boil then whisk in the cornflour mixture to lightly thicken. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
- Carve the chicken and serve with the gravy, potatoes and watercress.