Ingredients

Method

• 1 free-range chicken
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 5–6 rosemary sprigs
• 500 g brown mushrooms, cleaned
• 50 g butter
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Watercress, to garnish
• Crusty sautéed potatoes or potato gratin, for serving

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 230°C.

Cut out the chicken’s backbone and freeze it for stock or soup. Quarter the chicken.

Season and oil the chicken, then crush 1 garlic clove and smear onto the flesh side. Place the chicken skin side up in an oiled roasting pan. Tuck in the rosemary sprigs and roast for 30 minutes.

Trim the mushrooms, brush with oil and season. Crush the remaining garlic clove and smear onto the mushrooms. Dot with butter and add to the pan of chicken.

Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the chicken and mushrooms and pour over the stock. Roast for a further 10 minutes until the chicken is brown and tender and the mushrooms just cooked.

Garnish with watercress and serve with sautéed potatoes or sweet potato gratin.

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