Roast Chicken with Fennel Stuffing

Ingredients
- 1 fennel
- 4 rashers streaky bacon
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped and crushed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- size 16 chicken
- 25 g butter, softened
- salt to taste
Method
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1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Trim and discard the feathery leaves from the fennel and finely chop the bulb. Finely chop the bacon and place it in a frypan with the fennel, onion, garlic and olive oil. Gently cook until the fennel and onion are tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
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2. Place the breadcrumbs and lemon zest in a bowl and season with the salt and pepper.
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3. Mix in the fennel and bacon mixture and then the egg.
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4. Rinse the chicken inside and out and pat it dry with paper towels. Stuff the cavity with the fennel stuffing and secure with a skewer. Draw the legs together and tie with string. Rub the chicken skin with the butter and season with the salt.
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5. Place the chicken in a roasting pan, breast side up, and roast in the preheated oven for 1½ hours, or until the juices run clear when it is pierced with a skewer. Turn the chicken over after the first 30 minutes and then again after 1 hour. Rest for 15 minutes before serving. Serve the chicken with roasted vegetables.
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Courtesy of Food Magazine. Recipe by Helen Jackson. Photography by Shaun Cato-Symonds.