Spring Chicken

Photo © Anne-Marie Minhall

I have been relishing the early Spring sunshine this week.

Unbridled joy as I strolled to the Tube instead of taking the bus.

Oh, & trying to practice not thinking.

W H A T ?

My latest read is by a former monk called Ryunosuke Koike - The Practice of Not Thinking - A Guide to Mindful Thinking.

Part of the book is about eating & how, after a day working, we don't really taste what we're putting into our mouth. The author suggests that we take time to chew & taste without simply swallowing everything & to start to appreciate the different sensations.

During the past few days I have been thinking, (in a 'Not Thinking' positive way,) about something delicious to eat this weekend.

A new way with Roast Chicken.

Potato and Rosemary Stuffing.

For three to four

Oven on 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6

1.6-2kg Chicken
500g Small Potatoes
1 Lemon 
4 tbsp Olive Oil
50g Butter, melted 
3 tbsp Rosemary, chopped
5 Cloves Garlic

Bring a pan of water to the boil then add the potatoes & cook for about 10 minutes till they're almost tender - drain

Put the potatoes in a bowl together with the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the oil, the melted butter, chopped rosemary & seasoning

Gently toss everything together making sure that the potatoes are covered generously with the dressing

Put the chicken in a roasting tin then stuff the cavity with the potatoes, any that won't fit, just place around the bird

The rest of the oil gets poured over the chicken, season it, add the garlic cloves to the pan

Roast, checking the recommended cooking time on the weight of the bird you've bought 

Once out of the oven, rest the chuck for about 20 minutes under cover of foil

It was a Spring Chicken to relish & the roasted potatoes cooked inside really worked. 

Once carved, the chuck & spud stuffing was joined by the first English asparagus of the season. 

Hello Spring, welcome back.

AMM