Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• about 1.5kg/3lb 5oz
• 10g fresh tarragon leaves
• plus extra to garnish
• 1 fennel bulb
• trimmed and cut lengthways into pieces
• fennel fronds separated and reserved
• 175g/6oz butter
• softened
• plus 50g/1¾oz
• diced
• for the sauce
• 85g/3oz plain flour
• 600ml/20fl oz chicken stock
• plus extra if required
• 600ml/20fl oz white wine
• plus extra if required
• 300g/10½oz baby king oyster mushrooms
• trimmed (or king oyster mushrooms
• chopped)
• 8 shallots
• peeled and left whole
• 2 garlic cloves
• peeled and left whole
• 12 baby carrots
• peeled
• 2 celery sticks
• halved
• 1 star anise
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• sea salt flakes and pepper
• mixed fresh herb leaves
• such as flatleaf parsley and chervil
• to garnish
• Romanesco florets
• steamed
• to serve

Directions

• Place the chicken on a board and
• starting from just above the wishbone
• lift the skin that runs along the breast of the bird. Stuff the tarragon and fennel fronds between the skin and breast
• taking care not to split the skin.
• Take a clean muslin cloth and cover it with a layer of softened butter. Dust the butter with some flour. Spread another layer of butter on top and dust again with the flour.
• Place the chicken in the muslin and roll the cloth around the chicken to wrap it tightly. Tie the ends of the muslin with kitchen string.
• Pour the stock and wine into a saucepan or flameproof casserole dish. Add the chicken
• breast-side up
• to the pan. It should be mostly submerged
• so top up with stock or wine if necessary. Add the mushrooms
• shallots
• garlic
• carrots
• celery sticks
• fennel pieces and star anise.
• Bring to the boil and then reduce to a medium–low heat. Put a lid on the pan and simmer for 50 minutes. Turn off the heat
• but leave the chicken sitting in the stock for another 20 minutes.
• Drain the stock through a colander into a clean saucepan below
• reserving the vegetables. Discard the garlic and star anise. Place the stock over a medium–high heat and simmer until reduced by at least two-thirds.
• While the stock is reducing
• untie the muslin and remove the chicken. Try to keep the flour and butter intact
• which should have become pastry-like during cooking. Cover the chicken in foil to keep warm.
• Scrape the flour and butter paste into a bowl and then whisk it slowly into the stock
• until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper and pass the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan. Add the cream and remaining 50g/1¾oz butter to the sauce and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning. Return the vegetables and mushrooms to the sauce and heat through.
• Serve the chicken with the sauce alongside and garnish with the leaves. Serve the Romanesco in a separate bowl.