ROAST CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOM & CREAM SAUCE

SERVES 6

This is very straightforward to make and we love it with sautéed greens. I have given you the recipe for an easy creamy sauce with crème fraîche and mushrooms, or you could serve it instead with a simple gravy.

1.8kg chicken 1 head of garlic, halved horizontally A small handful of fresh thyme or 1 heaped tsp dried thyme 50g butter Salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE MUSHROOM & CREAM SAUCE (optional) 500g chestnut mushrooms, halved if large 150ml dry white wine 150ml chicken stock 200g crème fraîche

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Put the chicken into a roasting tin. Tuck the garlic halves under the chicken and put the thyme into the cavity. Use a knife to spread the butter evenly over the breast. Season all over with ¾ teaspoon of salt and some pepper.

2 Roast for 1 hour, then baste the bird with the cooking juices that have collected in the tin.

3 Add the mushrooms around the edges, if you are making the mushroom and cream sauce, and toss to coat in the fat. Add a little more seasoning over the mushrooms. Continue to cook for a further 30 minutes or until done.

4 Check the chicken is cooked by inserting a temperature probe into the bird in the thickest part. It should be over 80C. If you don’t have one, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the bird, usually above the leg and into the breast. The juices should run clear and not pink.

5 Remove the tin from the oven and pull out the thyme sprigs from the cavity. Add these to the tin.

6 Put the chicken on a warm dish and lightly cover with foil and a cloth to keep it warm. Leave it to rest for 20 minutes.

7 Put the tin over a medium heat. Add the white wine and bring to the boil. Scape off the brown bits from the bottom of the tray and squeeze out the garlic. Discard the skins and pick out the thyme stems. Let the wine reduce by half or until the smell of alcohol has turned sweet.

8 To make the mushroom and cream sauce, stir in the stock and crème fraîche. Taste and add seasoning as necessary. Transfer the sauce to a warm serving bowl and serve with the chicken.