Name: Roast Chicken with Chestnut and Mushroom Stuffing
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 onion, peeled and halved; 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 sprig fresh rosemary; 1 sprig fresh sage; 1 large whole organic or free-range chicken; olive oil; 1 l chicken stock; 50 g butter; 1 onion, finely diced; 1 clove garlic, finely diced; 2 sprigs sage, chopped; handful mixed wild mushrooms, roughly chopped; 120 g sourdough bread, cut into 1cm dice; handful ready-cooked and peeled chestnuts, crushed; 1 egg; 3 Cumberland sausages, skin removed

Roast Chicken with Chestnut and Mushroom Stuffing

A classic roast chicken gets a delicious upgrade with a savory stuffing of mushrooms, chestnuts, and sausage.

Total2h 10m

DifficultyMedium

Servings4

This recipe transforms a simple roast chicken into a hearty, flavor-packed centerpiece. The stuffing, made with earthy mushrooms, sweet chestnuts, and sausage meat, keeps the bird moist and adds a rich depth of flavor.

The chicken is roasted until golden and juicy, then served with a quick pan gravy made from the roasting juices and stock. It's a comforting, impressive dish perfect for a Sunday family meal.

Method

First, make the stuffing. Melt the butter in a frying pan, and cook the onion and garlic until soft and translucent. Season. Add the sage and the mushrooms, and continue to cook until soft. Add the bread, and allow to soak up any butter, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the chestnuts, and give it all a good mix. Cool, then add the egg and sausagemeat and mix well. Chill.
Heat the oven to 350°F/fan 325°F/gas 4. Make sure any giblets are removed from the chicken, and fill the cavity with the stuffing.
Put the onion, garlic and herbs into a roasting tin. Put the chicken on top and drizzle with olive oil. Season well and put in the oven. After about 40 minutes, the chicken will be nice and brown: at this point add half the stock, then lower the oven temperature to 325°F/fan 275°F/gas 3 and roast for a further 50 minutes or until cooked. (Check by piercing the thickest part of the thigh – if the juices are not clear, put back in the oven for 10 minutes.)
Take the chicken out of the roasting tin to rest, add the rest of the stock to the tin (or tip it into a pan) and turn the heat up to high. Reduce rapidly until you have a gravy consistency. Strain, and serve alongside the carved chicken.

💡 Tips

For a crispier skin, pat the chicken dry before roasting.
If you don't have Cumberland sausages, use any good-quality pork sausage.
The stuffing can be made a day ahead and kept chilled.

Inspired by a recipe from Olive Magazine

Roast Chicken with Chestnut and Mushroom Stuffing

Ingredients

Method

💡 Tips

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