Ingredients

• approx 1.75 kg/4 lb oven ready chicken
• little softened butter or margarine
• 6 medium sized potatoes
• little oil
• 1 onion, peeled and very finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 225 g/8 oz cup mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 level tablespoons fresh parsley, freshly chopped
• 2 level teaspoons dried thyme
•   salt and pepper
• 175 g/6 oz fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 100 g/4 oz button mushrooms
• 2-3 courgettes, trimmed and cut into sticks

Method

1. Wipe the chicken all over. Then very carefully, beginning at the neck end, insert your hand between the skin and flesh of the breast of the bird. Work slowly and carefully to ease the skin away from the breast.
2. For the stuffing: fry the onion and garlic in the oil until soft. Add the mushrooms and continue for 1–2 minutes until soft. Remove from the heat and add the herbs and seasonings, then turn into a bowl and leave until cold.
3. Mix the breadcrumbs into the cooled stuffing mixture and bind together with the beaten egg.
4. Use about three-quarters of the stuffing to form an even layer between the skin and flesh of the chicken. Use the remainder of the stuffing to fill the neck end of the bird. Secure the neck flap and truss the bird loosely.
5. Stand the chicken in a roasting tin and rub all over with softened fat; season lightly.
6. Peel the potatoes, cut each in half and stand on the cut end. Make cuts almost right through the potatoes to the base at about 0.5 cm/¼ inch intervals. Arrange around the chicken and add a little oil.
7. Cook in a fairly hot oven (200°C/400°F, Gas Mark 6) for 1¼–1½ hours, basting at least twice, until cooked through. If the stuffing appears to be overbrowning, lay a sheet of greaseproof paper lightly over the bird.
8. Just before the chicken is ready, trim the mushrooms and 'turn' them using the point of a sharp knife. Fry them gently in a little oil.
9. Blanch the courgettes in boiling salted water for 2 minutes.
10. Serve the chicken surrounded with the fan potatoes, mushrooms and courgettes. A gravy may be made using the pan juices.

Notes