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Roasted Chicken

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

4 lemons

2 tbsp each coarsely chopped tarragon, thyme and flat-leaf parsley

200 gm mascarpone

1 size 16 bostocks organic chicken

For drizzling: olive oil

250 ml (1 cup)chicken stock

Roast carrot and lentil salad

90 ml olive oil

20 ml red wine vinegar

Finelygrated rind and juice of 1½ lemons

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 bunches Dutch carrots, scrubbed

250 gmsmall green lentils

1 cupcoarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

3 handfuls mesculan

¼ preserved lemon, skin only,  finely diced

Method

• Preheat oven to 180C. Pound garlic and ½ tsp sea salt in a mortar and pestle to a coarse paste. Finely grate rind of 2 lemons (reserve lemons), add to salt mixture with herbs and pound to a fine paste. Stir in mascarpone, season to taste and set aside.

• Gently separate skin from breasts and legs of the chicken by sliding your finger carefully between them, taking care not to tear skin. Push 3/4 mascarpone mixture under skin of chicken and spread evenly under skin.

• Coarsely chop grated lemons and stuff into spatchcock cavities. Truss with kitchen string, place in a roasting pan and drizzle with oil. Cut remaining lemons into wedges, squeeze juice over spatchcock and add wedges to pan. Add stock and roast, basting occasionally, until browned and cooked through (50-60 minutes depending on your oven).  Test with a probe, check the chicken is cooked to 74c.

• Meanwhile, for roast carrot and lentil salad, combine oil, vinegar, lemon rind, juice and garlic in a bowl and season to taste. Spread carrots on an oven tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with a little oil mixture, season to taste and roast until browned and tender (20-25 minutes). Cook lentils in a large saucepan of boiling water until tender (20-25 minutes), drain and add roast carrots, parsley, mescualn, preserved lemon and remaining oil mixture. Season to taste and keep warm.

• Remove chicken from roasting pan and cover with foil to keep warm. Boil pan juices over high heat until reduced by half (4-5 minutes). Whisk in remaining mascarpone mixture, season to taste and serve spooned over mascarpone-roasted spatchcock with roast carrot and lentil salad.

Braised Chicken with Peas and Red Wine

Serves 4

8 Bostocks organic chicken thighs, bone in and skin on

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, sliced

8 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tbsp julienned ginger

2 sprigs rosemary

4 sprigs thyme

2 dried long red chillies (seeds removed), crushed

2 carrots, sliced into 1cm thick rounds

250ml good-quality red wine

400g canned tomatoes

150ml chicken stock

3 cups frozen peas

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Season the chicken with the sea salt.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based ovenproof pan with a tight fitting lid. Brown the chicken well on all sides, skin side down first. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic, ginger, rosemary, thyme, chilli and carrot to the pan and sauté over a medium heat for 2 minutes or until starting to soften. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and their juice, stock and chicken. Season to taste and bring to the boil.

Cover with the lid and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until just cooked.

Transfer the pan, uncovered, to the stovetop and bring the sauce to a gentle, rolling simmer. Add the peas and cook for a further 5 minutes. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Spoon 2 chicken thighs per person into pasta bowls, pour over some sauce and vegetables and add a generous grind of pepper. Serve with soft polenta.

Chestnut Stuffing:

• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups sliced celery with leaves
• 1Ž2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 can whole chestnuts, drained and coarsely broken (17 ounces)
• 4 cups cooked wild rice
• 1 teaspoon crumbled dried sage
• 1 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon crumbled dried marjoram

Fry bacon in a skillet until crisp. Add onion, celery, and parsley, and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in chestnuts, rice, and herbs. Season to taste with salt.