Roast chicken with pickled rhubarb & dill-dressed leaves

Name: Roast chicken with pickled rhubarb & dill-dressed leaves
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1¾ kg whole large chicken; 25 g butter, at room temperature; 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar; ¼ tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp milk; 6 tbsp soured cream; 1 tbsp dill; 2 little gem lettuces

Diana Henry's roast chicken recipe features tart ginger-scented rhubarb and crispy dill dressed leaves.

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Serves6
CourseMain meal
Prepare20 mins
Cook1 hr 10 mins
Total time1 hr 30 mins
Plusresting

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Ingredients

1¾kg whole large chicken
25g butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp milk
6 tbsp soured cream
1 tbsp dill
2 little gem lettuces

For the rhubarb

200ml cider vinegar
300g granulated sugar
1 tbsp juniper berries, bruised
1.5cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
400g rhubarb, of similar thickness, trimmed and cut into 4cm lengths

Method

First prepare the rhubarb. Put the vinegar and sugar in a pan and bring to the boil, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. Turn the heat down, add the juniper and ginger and simmer for 6 minutes. Add the rhubarb and poach gently for about 3 minutes (thinner stalks will only take 2 minutes). It should be barely cooked and will continue to cook in the residual heat after you’ve removed it from the liquid.
Lift the rhubarb onto a tray with a slotted spoon (keeping pieces separate will help them to cool). Leave the fruit and vinegar syrup to cool to room temperature. The liquid will thicken a little. Pour the sweet vinegar over the rhubarb.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Season the chicken inside and out and put it into a roasting tin. Smear the butter all over the breast and legs. Roast for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until cooked through and there is no pink meat and the juices run clear, then leave to rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
To make the dressing, mix the vinegar, mustard, milk and seasoning, then gradually whisk in soured cream and dill using a fork. Separate the leaves of the baby gems and put them into a bowl. Dress. Serve the chicken with the salad and pickled rhubarb. Baby potatoes are all you need on the side.