Ingredients

Ingredients

• 1x1.5kg chicken (organic or free range preferably)
• maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil

Farce

• 400g chicken mince (I like to mince the breast but leg meat will do)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp pistachio nuts
• 4 tbsp mixed fresh herbs finely chopped eg. Parsley, chives, thyme, sage etc.
• 3 tbsp dried soft apricots, roughly chopped
• 250g thick slice of ham, sliced into strips 1cm wide
• maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serving Suggestion

• cooking juices
• cranberry sauce or your choice of chutney
• hot or cold boiled new jersey potatoes
• hot or cold asparagus tossed with garlic melted butter or extra virgin olive oil and lemon zest
• mixed salad

Method

1. To Debone the Chicken: Place the chicken on a chopping board breast side down. Using a sharp knife cut along the centre of the back of the chicken. Scrape the skin and meat from the back bone of the chicken and then follow the bone to remove the meat from the carcass until you get to the top of the breast. Repeat this process with the other side of the chicken being carefully not to cut through the skin. When you get to the top of the ribcage very carefully cut the top of the breastbone from the flesh so that the breast remains intact and the chicken meat remains whole.
2. Hold up one chicken thigh up with one hand and scrape down the bone removing the flesh. Cut around the skin at the base of the leg and pull the bone out. Repeat this process with the other leg and wings, removing the wing tips (there isn't any worthwhile flesh there). turn the legs and wings flesh inside the chicken.
3. Farce: Place the chicken mince in a bowl with the tomato paste, pistachio nuts, mixed herbs and seasoning. Mix the mixture together well with a wooden spoon so that all the ingredients are well combined.
4. Preheat an oven to 200°C. Lay the boned chicken skin side down. Spread the half the mince mixture over the centre of the chicken. Scatter the apricots over the mince and lay the ham slices lengthwise on the centre of the chicken. Finish with the remaining mince. Bring the sides of the chicken together sealing in the farce. Reform the chicken into a cylinder shape and use a long skewer to secure the flesh together. If preparing in advance you can you cover and refrigerate the chicken until ready to cook.
5. To Cook: Place the galantine in an oven tray, breast side up. Coat it lightly with olive, season with salt and pepper, and place it on the centre shelf of the oven and leave it to cook for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180°C and leave the chicken to cook for a further 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and turn it over, return it to the oven and leave it to cook for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and turn it breast side up and return it to the oven for the final 10 minutes (if the chicken skin is pale, increase the heat to 200C). Remove the chicken from the stove and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving or allow it to cool and refrigerate until ready to serve cold.
6. To Serve: Carefully remove the skewer from the chicken and slice so that their are 2-3 slices per portion. Pour a little of the cooking juices over the chicken slices (optional) and serve with your choice of accompaniments.