Parsley, mustard and preserved lemon roast chicken

The scent of a roasting chicken drifting through the house brings back memories of Sunday lunches when, although it was probably tipping down outside, the aroma made the house so warm and cosy. We couldn’t wait to sit up at the table, the carving knife to slip through the golden, crispy skin, crunchy roast potatoes to crowd the green vegetables and parsnips on the plate, thick gravy to pour from a jug over the whole lot.

Chicken reserved for a special occasion is something that got lost with the rise of factory farming, and should be revived for many reasons.  I don’t cook it that often as it’s important for me that I buy the best bird I can for quality of life of the chicken, impact on the environment, our health (no hormones) and, of course, taste and texture. This means it is more expensive (as it should be – cheap meat is unsustainable) so it deserves to be cooked with loving care. Any leftovers will be made into a risotto the next day and I always make the carcass into stock so that nothing is wasted.

This way of stuffing is my favourite for roasting chicken. Crushing the aromatics into softening butter, wiggling my fingers to loosen the skin, reaching for a ball of the fragrant stuffing, feeding it into the gap, smoothing the little parcel so it spreads out over the breast, I find a weirdly relaxing task.

Bright, green, mildly bitter parsley; knobbly beads of mustard in a hint of mellow vinegar; sharp, candied citrus from preserved lemons and some fresh zest; pungent garlic; these flavours swirled into pale butter with some coarse sea salt and black pepper make a melting cloak over the proud bird . Other ways of roasting a chicken seem naked in comparison.

Wholegrain mustard gives a piquancy and texture that works so well – in fact a butter/mustard combination is a simpler yet delicious alternative. It’s all about balance and I use Maille wholegrain as the mustard seeds (non-GMO from Burgundy and Canada) are partially cut and suspended in white vinegar that’s not too acid. Vinegar is as important as the seeds in mustard-making and Antoine-Claude Maille started his business in 1747 as a specialist in vinegar, developing 100s of different flavours, and became renowned through the royal courts of Europe. In 1720 he invented one called the ‘vinegar of the 4 thieves’ which had antiseptic properties credited with helping people avoid The Plague. Maille still make a range of vinegars and I’ve used the Balsamic glaze when cooking a roast dinner drizzled over oven-baked carrots for a lovely sweet and sharp flavour.

As the oven is on, I cook potatoes cut into small cubes tossed in olive oil with a head of garlic roasted until crisp. Pop in some red peppers tucked into a baking tray for about 20 minutes.

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This recipe was commissioned by Maille, and, as I have always used their mustard, this was a pleasure. I only write about things that I genuinely cook with or endorse.  All opinions my own.