Ingredients

• 1.5-1.8kg/3lb 5oz - 4lb chicken
• giblets removed
• trussed
• 25g/1oz butter
• ½ unwaxed lemon
• juice only
• 100ml/3½fl oz white wine or vermouth
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 15g/½oz butter
• 1 large onion
• finely chopped
• ½ unwaxed lemon
• finely grated zest only
• 5 leaves fresh sage
• finely chopped (or ½ tsp dried sage)
• 100g/3½oz fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• beaten
• 15g/½oz butter
• 1 large onion
• finely chopped
• 200g/7oz sausagemeat
• 1 eating apple
• grated
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• finely chopped
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 100ml/3½fl oz dry white wine
• 300ml/10fl oz chicken stock

Directions

• The day before you roast your chicken
• season it inside and out with salt. Loosely wrap it in kitchen paper
• then put it in a tub or wrap it securely in foil. Chill it in the fridge. An hour before you want to roast it
• remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 6.
• For the stuffing
• melt the butter in a frying pan over a low heat
• add the onion and cook until soft and translucent. Put the onion in a bowl and allow to cool
• then mix in the lemon zest
• sage and breadcrumbs. Season well with salt and pepper and add the egg
• mixing thoroughly. (If making the sausagemeat stuffing
• do exactly the same
• mixing the fried onion with the sausagemeat
• apple and herbs.)
• Fill the cavity of the chicken with the stuffing
• making sure you leave a little air between the stuffing and the top of the bird to allow the air to circulate. If you have any stuffing left over
• you can stuff it into the neck end.
• Rub the butter over the chicken
• then squeeze the lemon juice over it and put it in a roasting tin. Mix the wine with 100ml/3½fl oz water and pour over the chicken.
• Roast for 15 minutes
• then turn the heat down to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and roast for a further 60–80 minutes
• or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when it is pierced through the thickest part with a skewer (the cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken).
• Remove the bird from the tin
• cover with foil and set aside to rest. Pour off the tin juices and strain off any fat
• then set aside. To make the gravy
• sprinkle the flour over the tin. Stir over a low heat to make a roux with the scrapings in the bottom of the tin
• then pour in the wine. Let this bubble up
• then gradually add the pan juices and stock. You can transfer the gravy to a saucepan if you like – the roasting tin should look clean. Simmer until you have a thin
• well flavoured gravy.