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Thyme for chicken roast

Name: Thyme for chicken roast
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 25 g Butter; 1 Tbsp Thyme leaves; 1 Apple, peeled, cored and diced; 1 Pear, peeled, cored and diced; 1 cup Croutons, made from French bread (Main); ½ cup Seedless grapes; ½ cup White wine; 1 ½ kgs Chicken, such as Rangitikei (Main); 2 Tbsp Olive oil; 2 Tbsp Thyme leaves; 1 bunch Seedless grapes; 1 handful Thyme, small sprigs to garnish; 2 Tbsp Flour; 1 ½ cups Chicken stock

for 6 people

Jan Bilton

Food writer and cookbook author.

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Don't worry if the grapes burst a little — their juice adds to the flavour of the pan juices. We enjoyed this fruity chicken with Selaks Reserve Pinot Gris.

Stuffing

25 g	Butter
1 Tbsp	Thyme leaves
1	Apple, peeled, cored and diced
1	Pear, peeled, cored and diced
1 cup	Croutons, made from French bread (Main)
½ cup	Seedless grapes
½ cup	White wine

Chicken

1 ½ kgs	Chicken, such as Rangitikei (Main)
2 Tbsp	Olive oil
2 Tbsp	Thyme leaves
1 bunch	Seedless grapes
1 handful	Thyme, small sprigs to garnish

Gravy

2 Tbsp	Flour
1 ½ cups	Chicken stock

Directions

To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan. Add the thyme, apple and pear. Sauté on low heat, until softened. Add the croutons, grapes and wine and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated. Season. Cool.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Wipe the chicken inside and out with a paper towel. Fill the cavity with the stuffing including the neck cavity. Truss or tie with string to keep a good shape. Brush with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and thyme. Place in an oiled roasting dish, breast-side up. Roast for 1 hour. Add the grapes, drizzle with a little olive oil then season. Continue roasting for another 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 74C.
Remove from the pan. Tent with foil and cover with a towel. Rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pour off any fat from the pan. Stir in the flour. Whisk in the chicken stock (if preferred, add a squeeze of Simon Gault's 'Don't be Chicken' stock for extra flavour) and boil, until thickened.
Serve with the grapes on the side. Great accompanied by baked kumara or potatoes.

Hints for making the most of your roast

Ensure the meat is at room temperature before placing it in the oven.
Weigh the meat to calculate the cooking time.
Use a meat thermometer to take any guesswork out of the cooking time.
Cover the roast with foil after removing from the oven. Top with a thick towel and rest for at least 15 minutes (depending on the size) before carving.
To help make a dark gravy, lightly brown the flour in a small, dry pan before adding to the pan juices and/or stock. Or place a couple of tablespoons of flour in a corner of the roasting pan.