The Empress of India’s roast chicken with bread sauce and stuffing
Roast chicken with bread sauce and stuffing is an all time classic. The Empress of India’s modern twist on the dish will elevate a Sunday lunch into a special occasion, with rich bread sauce and herby chestnut stuffing.
- 1 free-range chickenabout 1.4 kg (The Empress uses Devonshire Bronze)
- softened butter
- a squeeze of juice lemon
sage and chestnut stuffing
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- leaves picked and chopped to make 1 tsp thyme
- chopped to make 1 tsp sage
- 50g butter
- 100g cooked peeled chestnutschopped
- fresh chicken stockcube or concentrate made up to 75ml
- a couple of handfuls fresh breadcrumbs
bread sauce
- 300ml milk
- 1 sprig thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 white peppercorns
- 6 cloves
- ¼ onion
- ½ carrot
- freshly grated nutmega pinch
- 100g fresh breadcrumbs
- a dash double cream
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal0
- fat0g
- saturates0g
- carbs0g
- sugars0g
- fibre0g
- protein0g
- salt0g
Method
step 1
To make the stuffing, gently cook the onion, thyme and sage in the butter until soft but not coloured. Add the chestnuts and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add enough breadcrumbs for the mixture to bind together and become thick. Cool and set in the fridge for 30 minutes.
step 2
Heat the oven to 200c/fan 180c/gas 6. Stuff the chicken under the skin at the neck, using string or cocktail sticks to keep it in place. Rub soft butter all over and give it a squeeze of lemon juice. Put on a rack over a roasting tray containing a little water and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180c/fan 160c/gas 4 and cook for a further 40 minutes or until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Rest the chicken under foil for 20 minutes.
step 3
To make the bread sauce, put the milk in a pan with all the ingredients except the breadcrumbs and cream. Leave on a low heat to infuse for 20 minutes, then sieve. About 5 minutes before you serve the chicken, bring the milk to a simmer and whisk in the fresh breadcrumbs until the sauce thickens, then add a dash of cream to give a smooth texture.
step 4
Serve the chicken, stuffing and sauce with your favourite vegetables. The Empress serves this with braised red cabbage, cauliflower cheese, roast potatoes and pigs in blankets.