Roast chicken and watercress platter
Ingredients
- 50g salted butter at room temp.
- 1 lemon
- 4-5 sprigs thyme
- 1.8kg chicken
- 1 bag watercress
- 1 bunch spring onions
- 16 black olives
- 16 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2tbsp rapeseed oil
- ¼ clove garlic, crushed
Method
- Heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5.
- Beat together the butter, lemon zest, thyme leaves and a good pinch of black pepper.
- Gently lift the chicken skin from the breast meat at the end closest to the legs and spread the butter under the skin. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze out the juice and set aside to use later, then put the lemon, and thyme twigs inside the chicken cavity. Sprinkle a little salt over the skin and roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour 45 mins, basting twice with the cooking juices. Once cooked, set aside to rest.
- Put the watercress in a large bowl, add the sliced spring onions, halved cherry tomatoes and olives. Combine the reserved lemon juice with the rapeseed oil and crushed garlic. Leave 2tbsp of dressing in the bowl and use the rest to dress the watercress. Toss well and load onto a serving platter. Carve the chicken and place on the salad. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
