Cranberry Chestnut Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp dried cranberries
• 3 tbsp port wine
• 1.6 kg free-range chicken (1 free-range chicken)
• Sea salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 young garlic cloves
• 4 stalks flat-leaf parsley
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 4 sprigs Rosemary
• 200 g chestnuts (peeled, blanched, vacuum-packed)
• 1 Shallot
• 100 g Soft Butter
• 2 tbsp walnut oil
• 500 ml Chicken stock
• Fleur de sel

Instructions

1. 1.

   Soak cranberries in port wine for about 30 minutes. Thoroughly wash the chicken and pat dry inside and out. Remove wing tips. Starting at the neck, gently loosen the skin over the breast and part of the drumsticks from the meat. Salt and pepper the chicken generously inside.

2. 2.

   Halve the garlic cloves crosswise. Set aside one herb sprig per type. Fill the remaining herbs and garlic into the chicken cavity.

3. 3.

   Preheat oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Finely chop chestnuts and toast them in a dry pan without fat. Remove. Peel and finely dice the shallot. Drain the cranberries, then chop. Pick off leaves from the reserved herb sprigs and finely mince them.

4. 4.

   Mix chestnuts, shallots, cranberries, herbs, soft butter, and walnut oil; season with salt and pepper. Spoon portions of this mixture under the skin of the breast and drumsticks.

5. 5.

   Place a rack on the middle oven rack and set a drip pan beneath it. Pour chicken stock into the pan, place the chicken on the rack, and roast for about 50 minutes, basting frequently with the stock. If desired, finish under the broiler to crisp the skin.

6. 6.

   Strain the roasting juices; reduce slightly if needed and season with fleur de sel and pepper. Serve with rosemary potatoes.