Lavender Lovage And Lime Roast Chicken With Honey
A delectable and elegant way of cooking a whole chicken for a special dinner party or for sunday lunch! I have also cooked this chicken to take on a picnic - it is wonderful cold, and in sandwiches or salads. Try to use an organic reared chicken - the flavour is more superior than a poor factory/battery farmed chicken - and, you will be doing your bit" to stamp out this unnatural way of rearing poultry."
Steps
Preheat the oven to 190c , 400f , gas mark 5.
Combine the lime , onion and garlic with the butter.
Stuff half of this under the skin of the chicken , working carefully under the skin of the breast.
Put the remaining flavoured butter inside the bird , with the chopped lovage and the lavender flowers.
Secure the skin over the neck with a skewer and put the chicken in a roasting tray.
Combine the olive oil and honey in a pan and heat gently so the honey liquefies.
Stir , then pour over the chicken.
Season well.
Roast for 45 minutes per kg plus 20 minutes , basting every 20 minutes or so.
If the chicken seems to be browning too quickly , cover it with foil half way through cooking.
To test whether the chicken is cooked , pierce it with a skewer in the thickest part.
If the juices run clear , it is cooked.
Leave to stand , covered with foil , for 20 minutes before carving.
Garnish with lavender and lovage sprigs.
Carve at the table and serve with the pan juices , green beans.
Ingredients
limes, onion, garlic cloves, butter, roasting chickens, lovage, lavender flowers, olive oil, lavender honey, salt & freshly ground black pepper, lavender