Lavender, Lovage and Lime Roast Chicken With Honey

A delectable and elegant way of cooking a whole chicken for a special dinner party or for Sunday lunch! I have also cooked this chicken to take on a picnic - it is wonderful cold, AND in sandwiches or salads. Try to use an organic reared chicken - the flavour is more superior than a poor factory/battery farmed chicken - and, you will be doing your "bit" to stamp out this unnatural way of rearing poultry.

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1  small limes or 1  small lemon, finely chopped, pips removed
• 1  small onion, finely chopped
• 2 -3  garlic cloves, crushed
• 100  g butter, softened
• 1 (2 -3 kg)  roasting chickens
• 4  sprigs lovage or 4  stalks celery & leaves, roughly chopped
• 1  tablespoon  lavender flowers
• 50  ml olive oil
• 2  tablespoons  lavender honey
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper
•  lavender, and lovage sprigs (to garnish)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 190C, 400F, gas mark 5.
2. Combine the lime(lemon), onion and garlic with the butter. Stuff half of this under the skin of the chicken, working carefully under the skin of the breast. Put the remaining flavoured butter inside the bird, with the chopped lovage (celery stalks/leaves) and the lavender flowers. Secure the skin over the neck with a skewer and put the chicken in a roasting tray.
3. Combine the olive oil and honey in a pan and heat gently so the honey liquefies. Stir, then pour over the chicken. Season well.
4. Roast for 45 minutes per kg plus 20 minutes, basting every 20 minutes or so.
5. If the chicken seems to be browning too quickly, cover it with foil half way through cooking. To test whether the chicken is cooked, pierce it with a skewer in the thickest part. If the juices run clear, it is cooked. Leave to stand, covered with foil, for 20 minutes before carving.
6. Garnish with lavender and lovage sprigs.
7. Carve at the table and serve with the pan juices, green beans and apple & potato purée.