Whole Roasted Chicken stuffed with Black Garlic with a sherry and Black Garlic gravy

Ingredients

• One medium chicken
• 75g butter
• 6 peeled black garlic cloves
• 1 whole bulb of black garlic (unpeeled)
• 8 sprigs of thyme
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 pack of pancetta slices - enough to cover the breasts and legs of the chicken
• Olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 2 bay leaves

For the gravy

• 25g butter
• 25g plain flour
• 325 ml Chicken stock
• 100 ml Sherry
• 1 tablespoon of crème fraiche (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard (optional)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C, 400F, Gas Mark 6.
2. Place the chicken in a roasting dish. Cut the lemon in half, stuff into the cavity of the bird along with 3 sprigs of thyme, 2 bay leaves and a whole bulb of black garlic (unpeeled).
3. Place the butter, peeled black garlic and the leaves from 5 sprigs of thyme into a bowl. Season, then mix together to form a black garlic butter.
4. Loosen the skin around the neck of the bird and then around the chicken breasts. Using your hands, spread the black garlic butter all over the breasts. Pull the skin back over the chicken.
5. Season the chicken really well with salt and black pepper.
6. Lay the pancetta all over the chicken, paying particular attention to the legs and the breast. Drizzle with a little olive oil to keep the chicken moist.
7. Place the chicken into the oven.
8. After 30 minutes remove the pancetta and baste the bird with the buttery juices that are in the pan.
9. Return the chicken to the oven and cook for a further 30 - 40 minutes.
10. Baste the bird every so often.
11. The chicken is done when the juices run clear. To check this, insert a skewer into the leg area.
12. Remove the chicken from the oven and place onto a carving tray.
13. Now prepare the gravy.
14. Take out the bulb of black garlic and extract the individual cloves.
15. Remove the meat juices from the roasting pan and transfer to a small saucepan.
16. Melt in 25g butter and stir together. Put in the extracted black garlic cloves.
17. Stir in 25g of plain flour.
18. Gradually add 100 ml of sherry.
19. Then gradually add 325 ml of chicken stock. Simmer for 5 minutes and season to taste.
20. Optional - add a squeeze of the cooked lemon and 1 tablespoon of crème fraiche and the mustard.
21. Carve the chicken onto warmed plates. Spoon over the gravy

Serving suggestion: serve with roasted root vegetables and petit pois.

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