Roast Chicken With Lemon And Leek Stuffing Recipe

When I was a child, I always thought of roast chicken as the ultimate treat for our family lunch on Sundays; even though chicken is now a much more commonplace meal, I still enjoy it just as much.
Roast chicken lends itself to all sorts of tasty stuffings and I particularly like this tangy mixture of lemon and herbs.
1.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Wipe the chicken inside and out and place in a roasting tin.
Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle over the thyme.
Roast for 50 minutes, basting from time to time.
2.
To make the stuffing: fry the leek in the butter until soft.
Stir in the ground almonds and Bisto and cook for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, chives, tarragon, rind and juice of the lemon and the beaten egg to bind.
Roll the stuffing into small balls.
3.
When the chicken has been roasting for 50 minutes, arrange the stuffing balls around it and return it to the oven.
Roast for a further 30 minutes or until the juices of the chicken run clear when the thickest part of a leg joint is pierced with a skewer.
4.
Remove the chicken and place it on a warmed carving plate; put the stuffing balls around it.
5.
Skim the fat from the roasting tin and pour in the Bisto gravy.
Bring to the boil and strain it into a gravy boat.
Carve or joint chicken and serve with roast potatoes and mixed vegetables.