We’ve used a slower-growing Tesco Finest free range chicken here, for succulence. It brings a beautiful full flavour to the dish thanks to its corn-rich diet. To spatchcock the bird, place it on a chopping board, breast-side down. Using a pair of strong kitchen scissors, cut down each side of the backbone and remove it. Turn the chicken breast-side up and press firmly along the breast bone to make it flat. Then, starting at the neck end, carefully push your fingers between skin and flesh, first over one breast then the other, to create space for the stuffing.
Prep 30 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 4
1 Tesco Finest British corn-fed free range whole chicken, 1.65kg
2 Tesco Finest pork sausages
50g Tesco Finest white sourdough
11⁄2 tbsp fresh thyme
1 medium egg
50g Tesco Finest butter with truffle-flavoured olive oil, black pepper, garlic and onion, cut into small cubes
Olive oil
10 Tesco Finest echalion shallots, peeled
6 garlic cloves
4 bay leaves
1⁄2 tbsp plain flour
150ml Tesco Finest Valle De Leyda chardonnay
200ml double cream
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
Handful finely chopped tarragon
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7.
Squeeze the sausage meat into a bowl. Blitz the sourdough in a food processor to create chunky crumbs. With your hands, squish together the sausage meat, the breadcrumbs, one tablespoon of thyme and the egg, then season. Stuff under the skin of the chicken breast, then push in the truffle butter.
Place the chicken in a large baking tin. Season with salt and a little olive oil. Scatter in half the shallots, the garlic, bay leaves and the rest of the thyme. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove the cooked shallots and garlic and replace with the remaining raw shallots. Turn the oven down to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and roast for a further 30 minutes.
Squeeze the garlic out of its skin into a food processor along with the cooked shallots. Blitz until you have a chunky mixture. Tip into a pan with a couple of spoonfuls of chicken juice from the tin. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, then add the wine. Simmer for 5 minutes, before adding 100ml of water, the cream and mustard. Cook for 5 minutes then stir through the tarragon.
Place the chicken on a platter with the shallots. Serve with roast potatoes, green veg and the cream sauce.
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