Stuffed capsicum Nici’s festive tarragon butter roast chicken

SERVES 4- 6

I’m deliberately giving turkey a miss this year in favour of a top-notch chook. It’s crammed full of butter and tarragon, served with caramelised shallots and after one tender, succulent mouthful no-one will miss the turkey, I promise! It’s quicker and easier to cook, with tender meat guaranteed and no annoying dry leftovers, haha!

2 onions, peeled and chopped roughly

Splash of olive oil

250g butter, softened

½ cup sour dough breadcrumbs

Small handful fresh tarragon leaves or 2 tbsp

dried tarragon

3 tsp sea salt

1 quality chicken – I used

a fully organic chicken

6- 8 shallots, peeled and trimmed

Extra olive oil Few handfuls fresh spinach leaves to serve

1 Preheat oven to 180oC. Oil an oven dish and spread out the chopped onion in it. Splash with olive oil and toss. The chicken will sit on this.

2 Mix the butter, breadcrumbs, tarragon and salt together.

3 Pat the chicken dry all over, inside and out. From the neck end, stuff half the butter mix under the skin of the breast, being careful not to tear it. Do both sides. Next, make room under the skin around the thigh and drum, and stuff with the remaining butter mix. Salt the inside of the chicken and lay it on one side, atop the onions. Scatter shallots around the dish and splash all over with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken to its other side for 15 minutes, then place it breast-side up for the last 40-50 minutes. Rest on a board, breast side down, for 10 minutes – this allows the juices to flow into the breast meat.

4 Serve on a bed of fresh spinach leaves and drizzle over the buttery pan juices. SERVES 6- 8 as a side

This simple dish can be made a day ahead and reheated.

6- 8 small assorted capsicums,

red and green are festive

4 tbsp olive oil

Fresh basil leaves to serve FILLING:

2 cups cooked rice, couscous

or bulgur wheat

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 red onion, sliced and

the feta for topping.

3 Cut the stalk end off the capsicums, remove the seeds and make a cavity for stuffing (for larger ones, halve lengthwise). Rub the skin with oil.

4 Stuff each capsicum, then then drizzle over oil.

5 Bake for 30- 40 minutes until soft, adding the reserved feta in the last minute of cooking.

6 Add basil leaves and serve.