Preparation time: 25 minutes plus resting
Cooking time: 2hours 30 mins or as calculated
Ingredients:
- 1 x 150g packet garlic and herb Boursin cheese
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 25g unsalted and shelled pistachio nuts, chopped
- grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped sage
- 1 x 4kg Packington Free Range Cockerel
- 8 rashers smoked streaky bacon
- olive oil
- 4 tbsp sherry
- 400 ml good chicken stock or vegetable juices
Preparation method:
- Preheat the oven to 180 C/Gas Mark 4.
- Mix together the cheese, garlic, pistachios, lemon rind and juice, sage and seasoning until well combined.
- Place the cockerel on a board and carefully ease your fingers then your hand under the skin of the cockerel at the neck end freeing it from the breast meat.
- Smear the cheese mixture over the breast meat under the skin.
- Then tuck the flap of skin underneath.
- Arrange the bacon over the breast and drizzle over oil and season.
- Place in a large roasting tin and cover with foil.
- Calculate cooking time allowing 16 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 16 minutes or until juices run clear from the thigh when pierced with a knife or skewer.
- Remove the foil for the last 45 minutes to allow the cockerel to brown.
- Remove the cockerel from the oven and transfer to a warm serving plate.
- Cover with foil and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile skim most of the fat from the roasting pan and discard.
- Scrape the meat juices in the pan together.
- Place over a low heat and blend in sherry and stock.
- Bring to the boil, stirring and season to taste.
- Serve the gravy with the Cockerel.
Recipe and photo credit by- Packington Free Range
