Streaky Bacon Roasted Chicken with Bread Sauce

Cook Time 1 hour and 30 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

1.5 kg whole chicken, removed from the fridge 1 hour before cooking
6 pieces of streaky bacon
1 bunch of thyme
2 bulbs of garlic, cut in half
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 knobs of butter
Salt and pepper

Bread Sauce
3 slices of thick 2 day old sourdough, blitz in a food processor to make bread crumbs
2 ½ cups of milk
1 ½ tsp of 4 Spice (even amounts of white pepper, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg)
1 small onion, cut in half
2 fresh bay leaves
25g butter
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Pat the chicken dry, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Stuff two sprigs of the thyme into the cavity. Drizzle extra oil in a baking tray and make a nest with the remaining thyme and the garlic. In a criss-cross pattern, drape the bacon over the chicken. Place a few knobs of butter over the chicken, cover with some baking paper and then back in the oven for 50 minutes to an 1 hour, or until the juices run clear when the meat between the leg and breast runs clear. Rest for 15 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking start the sauce. Bring the milk to the boil with the onion, spices and bay leaves. Turn the heat off and infuse for at least 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Strain the milk into a clean pot and return to simmer. Rain in the breadcrumbs a bit at a time and stir until a smooth sauce forms. Now, add the butter and mustard. Squeeze out the flesh of one of the garlic halves under the chicken and stir into the sauce. Season with salt and serve with carved chicken.To find out more about

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