Herb Buttered Chicken Stuffed With Kale
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
- 2-3 tablespoons oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 bunch kale, washed and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 whole chicken
- small bunch of herbs finely chopped (I used rosemary, lemon thyme and sage)
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup hot chicken stock
- 1 cooking bag (optional)
- Salt and pepper to season
Step 1 - Heat a saucepan on medium heat and add one tablespoon of oil and fry the onion until translucent. Add the kale and garlic and saute for a few minutes adding more oil if needed, until the kale is cooked. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 2 - Preheat the oven to 200C/400F and get the oven bag ready - you can do this without an oven bag in which case you can line a deep baking tray with parchment to make cleaning easier. The oven bag does seem to inhibit the chicken browning so it's up to you.
Step 3 - Wash the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Stuff the chicken with some of the sauteed kale and reserve the rest to serve with the chicken. Mix the butter with the herbs and lemon zest and smear all over the chicken. Place in the oven bag with 1 tablespoon of flour (this is to prevent the bag from bursting). Close the bag and poke a few holes to let air escape. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes until golden brown. If the chicken isn't as brown as you'd like, cut open the bag and roast until golden. Serve with the kale.
Step 4 - To make a gravy, reserve all of the cooking juices and flour and heat in a small saucepan. Add the chicken stock and simmer until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.