Roasted chicken with rhubarb and tarragon

SERVES 4

1 organic or free-range chicken

2 shallots

3 garlic cloves, halved 10 tarragon sprigs

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to serve

500g rhubarb

50g caster sugar

New potatoes Green salad

1 Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/gas mark 6.

2 Cut the chicken into 8 pieces, and the shallots into wedges. Put the chicken pieces in an ovenproof dish with the shallot wedges, garlic and tarragon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, cut the rhubarb into 2cm chunks and mix with the sugar in a bowl. Take the chicken out of the oven after its 30 minutes of roasting and place the rhubarb around and under the chicken. Put back in the oven and roast for another 20 minutes.

4 Check to see if the chicken is done – test the thickest part of the thigh; if the juices run clear it’s cooked, if not roast for

5-10 minutes more. Serve with new potatoes and a green salad.

SERVES 8

FOR THE PASTRY

100g wholegrain stoneground spelt flour, plus extra for dusting

100g plain flour

1tsp sea salt

100g butter, diced, plus extra for greasing

100g quark or fromage frais

FOR THE FILLING

150g pancetta

300g boiled, peeled potatoes

150g kale

1tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 shallot, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

75g Cheddar cheese, grated

100g crème fraîche

4 large eggs, beaten

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Freshly grated nutmeg

1 Begin with the pastry. Mix both flours and the salt together in a large bowl, then rub in the butter with your fingertips. When it feels like breadcrumbs, mix in the quark or fromage frais and knead lightly just until the ingredients come together into a dough. Alternatively, put everything in a food processor and pulse-blend it together. In both cases, if the dough doesn’t come together, sprinkle in a little water.

2 Butter a tart tin, about 28cm in diameter, then roll out the dough on a floured surface until it’s big enough to line the tin. Line the tin and put the pastry case in the fridge to rest for 1 hour.

3 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake in the hot oven for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and parchment and bake for 5 minutes more.

4 While the case is baking, make the filling. Cut the pancetta into cubes and fry in a large, dry sauté pan until golden brown, then take off the heat and set aside. Cut the potatoes into 1cm cubes, and rinse and roughly chop the kale.

5 Place the pancetta pan over the heat again, and add the olive oil, shallot and garlic. Let them cook for a few minutes, then add the potatoes and kale and sauté for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes.

6 Now add the grated cheese and crème fraîche, fold in the beaten eggs and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour the mixture into the blind-baked pastry case, return to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling has set but retains a slight wobble.