Garlic & Fresh Herb Roasted Chicken served with Pomme Puree and Mushroom Sauce Recipe

Garlic & Fresh Herb Roasted Chicken, Pomme Puree & Mushroom Sauce (Serves 4)

A versatile, but classic dish which can be used to impress family or friends...

Ingredients: 1 Medium-Sized Chicken (Whole)
                           1 Bay Leaf
                           3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
                           3 Sprigs of Rosemary
                           4 Sprigs of Thyme
                           1/2 Lemon (Juice Only)
                           6 Cloves of Garlic (5 Crushed, 1 Peeled & Sliced)
                           3 Onions (2 Peeled & Quartered, 1 Finely Diced)
                           4 Carrots (Roughly Chopped)
                           4 Sticks of Celery (Roughly Chopped)
                           600g Potatoes (Peeled & Quartered)
                           100ml Full-Fat Milk
                           150ml Double Cream
                           75g Salted Butter (Cubed)
                           225g Button Mushrooms (Sliced)
                           100ml White Wine
                           200ml Chicken Stock
                           2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley (Finely Chopped)

Method:

1. For the roast chicken, make a herb rub out of 3 cloves of garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. By crushing together in a pestle and mortar, until a paste is formed. Rub thoroughly and evenly over the chicken, before covering and placing in the fridge to marinate for 2-3 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, before placing the celery, 2 cloves of garlic, carrot, bay leaf and onion on a roasting tray creating a trivet. Spread another tablespoon of vegetable oil amongst the vegetables before topping with the chicken. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes, but after 45, scrape off any charred remains off the rub if starting to blacken.

3. Meanwhile, for the pomme puree, cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling water for 30 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Pass the potatoes through a moulis or potato ricer. At this stage add the butter and fold in until the butter has melted and the puree starts to look shiny.

4. Heat 75ml of the cream and all the milk in a small pan up to a simmer before gradually adding to the puree. Season to taste before leaving on the side.

5. For the mushroom sauce- in a frying pan, fry the onion, remaining garlic and mushrooms for 15 minutes until softened. Add the white wine before reducing by half, add the chicken stock and reduce by half again on a high heat. Pour in any extra juice left by the resting chicken or any juice left at the bottom of the roasting tin. Once the sauce is thickening, pour in the cream to cook for a further 2 minutes. Take off the heat before stirring in the parsley and seasoning to taste.

6. Serve immediately with seasonal vegetables.