5 Ingredients Budget Friendly
Roast chicken

Roast chicken for two

Roast chicken

1 hr 50 mins

Not Too Tricky

serves 2

About the recipe

OK, so not everyone needs a great big joint for Christmas. This roast chicken with a rich stuffing is really special if you’re having a romantic dinner. (Plus you get great leftovers.)

nutrition per serving

735

Calories

735%

34g

Fat

34%

11.2g

Saturates

11.2%

26.2g

Sugars

26.2%

1.9g

Salt

1.9%

74.5g

Protein

74.5%

33.3g

Carbs

33.3%

4.7g

Fibre

4.7%

of an adult’s reference intake

Recipe From

By jamie

Ingredients

1 pear

½ an onion

2 cloves of garlic

150g free-range chicken livers

olive oil

1 handful of vac-packed chestnuts

1 sprig of fresh sage

1 large knob of butter

1 splash of brandy

1 handful of dried cranberries

1 x 1.6kg whole free-range chicken

1 orange

6 rashers of higher-welfare unsmoked streaky bacon

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

Method

OK, so not everyone needs a great big joint for Christmas. This roast chicken with a rich stuffing is really special if you’re having a romantic dinner. (Plus you get great leftovers.)

  1. Peel, core and chop the pear, peel and finely chop the onion, then peel the garlic. Trim the chicken livers, removing any stringy bits.
  2. Heat a frying pan on a medium heat, add a splash of oil and gently fry the pear, onion, garlic, chestnuts and sage leaves for 15 minutes, or until softened.
  3. Add the butter, move the veg to one side, then add the livers. Season well and cook for a minute or so, then add the brandy and stir.
  4. Cook on high for no more than 4 minutes, so the livers are still blushing inside; you’ll see them plump up. Overcooked, they’re tough, and we want them silky smooth.
  5. Tip it all into a food processor and pulse till creamy, but with some texture. Stir in the cranberries, then spread out on a plate and pop in the fridge to cool for a few minutes.
  6. Preheat your oven to full whack.
  7. Gently push your fingers between the skin and chicken breast meat to create a pocket. Push the stuffing into it, pull back the skin and secure with a couple of cocktail sticks. Drizzle with oil and season well, rubbing it all over the meat.
  8. Slice the orange into 6 wedges, then fit as many into the chicken’s cavity as you can – leave enough room for air to circulate – then transfer it to a roasting tray.
  9. Place the bird in the oven, then turn down the heat to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5. Cook for 1 hour 20 minutes in total, or until cooked, basting the chicken and covering the breast with bacon halfway through.
  10. When done, transfer to a board to rest before carving. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and serve with lovely roast veggies.