Rangitikei Roast Chicken With Manchego & Sage Stuffing

Simon Gault's cheese take on classic roast chicken stuffing.

half medium onion, finely chopped
half stalk celery, chopped
70g butter
6 slices white toast bread, crusts on, cubed
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
half cup grated Manchego cheese
half tsp salt
4 tsp finely chopped fresh sage or 1 tsp dried sage
1 Rangitikei free range whole chicken, wing tips removed
salt and pepper
1 medium-sized carrot, roughly chopped
1 medium-sized onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled
3 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs of rosemary

Stuffing
Sauté the onion and celery in the butter until softened. Transfer the onion mixture to a large mixing bowl and combine with the bread, pepper, eggs, grated cheese, salt and sage. Stir together until well moistened. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the stuffi ng, then season the skin with salt and pepper.

Assembly
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Scatter the carrot and onion in a large ovenproof dish with a lid (or use a large ovenproof frying pan with tin foil as a lid). Add the garlic, thyme and rosemary and set the stuffed chicken on top. Bake for 45 minutes per kg, plus 20 Minutes. Remove the lid or cover in the last 15 minutes to allow the bird to brown. Test to see if the chicken is cooked by inserting a skewer between the breast and the leg. If the juices run clear, it is cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in a warm place for 15 minutes before carving and serving.