Wild garlic and ricotta spatchcock chicken

The perfect Sunday lunch for a summers day, ideal to share with friends. Wild garlic infused creamy ricotta is slipped under the skin of this spatchcocked chicken before roasting, resulting in supremely succulent chicken, bursting with flavour. If you can’t find wild garlic, or it is out of season, swap it for equal quantities of fresh basil and add 1 finely grated garlic clove to the ricotta.

Serves 4-6

Hands-on time 40 mins

Total time 1 hr 50 mins, plus overnight straining

 INGREDIENTS

• 250g fresh ricotta

• 75g wild garlic, finely chopped (replace with basil if you can’t get Wild Garlic! See tip below)

• 2 lemons

• 3 tbsp capers in brine, finely chopped

• 20g toasted pine nuts

• 50g parmesan, finely grated

• 50g fresh white breadcrumbs*

• 1 large garlic

• X1 roughly 2kg Sutton Hoo chicken

• 60ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 15g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

• To serve: Steam asparagus, wild rocket and crusty bread, to serve

Tip: If you can’t find wild garlic, or it is out of season, swap it for equal quantities of fresh basil and add 1 finely grated garlic clove to the ricotta.

METHOD

1.     The night before, mix the ricotta to loosen it, then tip into a sieve set over a bowl, place it in the fridge and leave to drain overnight. The following day, discard the milky juices.  

2.     Pour the strained ricotta into a bowl and mix with 50g of the wild garlic.  Blend with a stick blender until uniform and pale green. Mix in the zest 1 lemon, 1 tbsp capers, the pine nuts, parmesan and breadcrumbs.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3.     Cut the lemons into 1 cm slices and arrange in the centre of a large roasting tray.  Separate the garlic cloves, keeping the skin on, and crush each one with the palm of your hand until split.  Scatter them over the lemon.

4.     Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, gas 4.

5.     Remove the giblets from the chicken (freeze them for use in stocks and gravies).  Time to spatchcock the chicken -to watch a video on how to spatchcock a chicken follow this link or read on. Using poultry or kitchen scissors, cut down both sides of the spine to remove it (freeze this too and add to stocks).  Season the inside of the bird with sea salt.  

Turn the chicken over onto a chopping board, and with the palm of your hands push down on the breastbone to break it, flattening the chicken.  Starting from the cavity end, push the flat side of a dessert spoon between the skin and the breast and thigh meat, taking care not to tear the skin. 

6. Spoon the ricotta stuffing between the skin and meat, smoothing the skin to create an even layer.  Secure the skin at the top of the breast with 2 cocktail sticks.  Place the chicken on top of the lemon and garlic raft, drizzle all over with olive oil and season with sea salt. 

7.     Roast the chicken on the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hr – 1 hr 20 mins until the skin is golden, the meat fibres are set and the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted in the thickest part of the bird.  Cover with foil if it starts to take on too much colour.  Set aside to rest for 10 mins. 

8.     While the chicken cooks, make a salsa verde.  Whisk 60ml olive oil, 1 tsp Dijon mustard and 1 tbsp of the caper brine together until smooth.  Mix in the remaining 25g wild garlic, the parsley and 2 tbsp capers.  Set aside. 

9.     When you’re ready to serve, toss freshly steamed asparagus and rocket with a spoonful of the salsa and drizzle a little more salsa over the chicken before carving.  Serve with lightly toasted or griddled crusty bread with extra salsa on the side.

Tip: *To make this recipe gluten-free, swap the breadcrumbs for gluten-free breadcrumbs.