Ingredients
- 1 brown onion, quartered with skin on
- 1 head of garlic, halved
- 1 x 1.5kg chicken
- 1tbs olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 4-5 large portobello mushrooms
- 50g butter
- 50g flour
- 500ml chicken stock
- 1tbs wholegrain mustard
- 1tsp thyme leaves, plus thyme sprigs for garnish
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 50ml cream
- Flour for dusting
- 1 block puff pastry/or prerolled puff pastry sheet
- 1 egg yolk
- Rosemary sprigs for garnish
- Start by roasting the chicken. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Spread the onion quarters and garlic halves on a heavy-duty roasting tray. Pat the chicken skin dry, then place it on the onion and garlic mix. Brush the skin with some olive oil, then season well with salt and pepper.
- Roast the chicken in the oven for one hour at 200 degrees, then leave to rest in the tray for 10 minutes. Strain all the juices from the tray through a sieve into a jug, to be used in the sauce. Then tear or cut the meat off the chicken into large chunks or strips to be used in the filling.
- Heat a nonstick frying pan and add the vegetable oil. Slice the portobello mushrooms and add to the pan. Cook on a high heat for three to four minutes, stirring regularly, until browned, then remove from the heat.
- Now to make the filling. Heat a pot and melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook out on a low heat for two minutes, then add the chicken stock and strained juices from the roasting tray, stir well and increase the heat to medium. Stir in the browned mushrooms and mustard and cook until the sauce thickens, then lower the heat and add the chunks and strips of chicken and the thyme leaves. Finish by stirring through the lemon zest and cream, seasoning with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat, transfer into a baking dish and allow to cool slightly.
- Dust a counter lightly with some flour. Roll out the puff pastry sheet and gently place this across the top of the baking dish. Pinch the edges so the pastry is secured to the oven dish. Brush the pastry gently with an egg yolk and garnish with some rosemary and thyme sprigs. Bake in the oven at 190 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is dark golden brown and crispy.
- Allow to cool slightly for five minutes before serving.
