Best Roast Chicken With Leek Tarragon Goats Cheese Stuffing Recipes

CHICKEN STUFFED WITH GOAT'S CHEESE & TARRAGON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Beat together the goat's cheese, lemon zest, chilli, tarragon and some seasoning. Cut a slit in the side of each chicken breast, ensuring that you don't pierce through the other side. Using your fingers, make a pocket and stuff the cheese mix inside. Season the chicken breasts, then wrap 2 slices of prosciutto around each, covering the pocket tightly.
• Put on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and cook for 18-20 mins until cooked through but still moist, and the juices run clear.

THE BEST ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Mix butter, garlic, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl.
• Loosen skin on chicken breast; rub butter mixture between skin and breast meat. Press on the skin to distribute evenly. Rub oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper all over; place lemon halves inside cavity. Set in a baking pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven, basting after 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Let rest before carving, about 15 minutes.

TARRAGON ROAST CHICKEN WITH SUMMER GREENS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Finely grate the zest and squeeze the juice from the lemon, then set aside, keeping them separate from each other. Put the squeezed-out lemon and the tarragon sprig in the chicken cavity. Tip the potatoes into a large roasting tin and toss with the oil and a grinding of black pepper. Sit the chicken in the middle, but not on top of the potatoes and roast for 1¼-1½ hrs until the chicken is cooked but still moist, and the potatoes are tender and golden. Remove the tin from the oven, pour off any juices into a jug and set aside. Toss the lemon zest through the potatoes and leave the chicken to rest, covered, while you cook the greens.
• Pour 150ml water into a pan and add the bouillon. Drop in the leeks, cover and cook for 2 mins, then add the asparagus and peas. Cover again and cook for 2 mins more. Finally, stir through the spinach to wilt it. Pour the roasting juices into the veg with 2 tbsp lemon juice, the yogurt and tarragon leaves, and stir well. If you're following our Healthy Diet Plan, serve half the veg with the meat from a skinless chicken leg and breast. Eat the other breast and leg with the remaining veg on another day. Will keep for up to three days, covered, in the fridge. To serve, reheat on plates in the microwave. Reserve any meat left on the carcass for our healthy quinoa salad.

GOAT'S CHEESE & THYME STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Split the chicken breasts almost in half from one long side and open them out like a book. Bat them out a little with a rolling pin to flatten them. Season on all sides. Put half the goat's cheese on each piece of chicken and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Fold the chicken over to enclose the cheese, then wrap each one in two slices of the bacon.
• Lightly oil a shallow gratin dish, then arrange overlapping rows of courgettes and tomatoes over the base. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme sprigs. Sit the chicken on top.
• Bake for 40-45 mins until the bacon is crisp and golden and the courgettes are tender. Serve straight from the dish with new potatoes or good bread.

CHICKEN WITH GOAT'S CHEESE & TARRAGON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Make a slit down the centre of each chicken breast with a sharp knife (taking care not to cut right through) then open up the slit with your fingers to make a pocket. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a large, lightly oiled ovenproof dish.
• Reserve 8 sprigs of tarragon, chop the rest of the leaves and beat into the cheese with plenty of ground black pepper. Spoon into the pockets in the chicken. Slice the tomatoes and place 2 slices over each cheese-filled pocket. Put a sprig of tarragon on top and drizzle with oil.
• Season and bake for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked, but still moist. If serving cold, pour off the juices otherwise they will set to a jelly once cold.
• Transport in the dish covered with cling film. You can prepare up to step 3 and serve cold, or cook when you get there.