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by The Hairy Bikers

This roast chicken is a real show stopper, perfect for Christmas or a big Sunday lunch. It isn’t usually cooked with shallots but we’ve added a few to make the sauce extra delicious. Leave them out if you prefer.

To make a richer sauce from the cooking liquor, you can stir in freshly chopped tarragon and some double cream or crème fraîche. Not traditional, maybe, but very delicious.

Main course

Buyer's guide

Green, or fresh, garlic is usually only available from June to August in the UK.

Preparation

Garlic has many culinary uses. The cloves are separated, peeled and then used whole, or chopped or crushed. If the garlic is old, be sure to remove the bitter ‘germ’ from the centre of the clove. The easiest way to crush garlic is to place a clove on a board and, using the flat side of a small knife, press down firmly until you have squashed it to a pulp. Sprinkle a little salt on the clove to help the knife grip. Garlic crushers are fine, but some say that crushing the garlic this way gives it a bitter taste. The more finely the garlic is crushed, the stronger it will taste in the dish, but slow oven-baking tends to mellow the flavour.