Roasting a whole chicken is very economical and a great way to simplify the following night’s supper. Adding a Spring flavour of wild garlic gives it a lighter taste.
Serves
Approximately 6
Ingredients
- 1 chicken, about 2kg
- A handful of wild garlic leaves, or a sprig of fresh herbs (parsley/thyme)
- A knob of butter, melted
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Heat the oven 180C, steam vent closed.
- Place the chicken in a roasting tin, ideally a cast-iron pan, and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Stuff the chicken with the wild garlic leaves or herbs and pour over the melted butter.
- Roast in the oven for about 1 ½ hours. If you like crispy chicken skin then open the steam vent for the last half an hour of cooking. Check the chicken is cooked, the juices should run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer or use a meat thermometer (at least 75C).
- You will have some delicious juices in the bottom of your roasting dish which can be poured into a jug and served after carving the chicken.
Bread Sauce
A family favourite and a classic accompaniment to roast chicken plus it means you don’t need to make gravy and the sauce can be made in advance.
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 75g butter
- 600ml milk plus a little extra milk or cream to finish the sauce
- 3 bay leaves
- 10 cloves
- 10 peppercorns
- 110g fresh breadcrumbs, sourdough or white
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Method
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the chopped onion and gently cook until softened. If you use the induction hob you will have more control and you can leave it to gently stew.
- Pour the milk in a saucepan and add the bay leaves, cloves and peppercorns.
- Bring to the boil over a medium heat, remove from the heat and leave at the back of your ESSE cooker to infuse for at least 30 minutes. The longer you leave it then the deeper the flavour.
- Strain the infused milk into the cooked onions, discarding the aromatics.
- Reheat over a low to medium heat and add the breadcrumbs, seasoning and nutmeg.
- Give it a good stir. The breadcrumbs will absorb the milk to make a thick sauce, if you would like it thinner then add more milk or a couple of tablespoons of cream. Taste for seasoning.
