French Pot Roast Chicken with Mustard Sauce

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
3 ½ tbsp (50g) unsalted butter
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 whole 3 lb (1.6kg) free-range chicken
1 cup (200ml) dry white wine
1 ¼ cup (300g) button mushrooms, sliced
½ cup (100ml) Cognac

For the sauce:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp flour
2 cups (500ml) milk
1 cup (200ml) crème fraîche
2 tbsp grain mustard
2 tbsp strong Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Savora mustard

Pasta:
3 cups of cooked pasta
2 tbsp butter
1 carrot, roughly chopped, blanched and refreshed
1 beetroot, roughly chopped, blanched and refreshed
1 head of broccoli, roughly chopped, blanched and refreshed
1 bunch of kale, roughly chopped, blanched and refreshed
1 bulb of fennel, roughly chopped, blanched and refreshed

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Melt the butter and oil in a roasting pot or flameproof casserole dish on the stove. Season the chicken, then add it to the pot and colour it on all sides. Turn the chicken every few seconds until the skin begins to turn golden brown.

2. Put the chicken in the oven to roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn and baste it every 15 minutes. When the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the roasting pan and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.

3. For the sauce, melt the butter in a heavy-based pan, add the flour, and cook for 3 minutes. Pour in the milk, whisking well. Bring to a boil and cook for 7-8 minutes. Stir in the crème fraîche, then turn down the heat and whisk in the mustards. Set aside for a few minutes.

4. Place the roasting pan back on the stove, leaving the roasting juices from the chicken at the bottom of the pan. Add the sliced mushrooms. When the mushrooms release their juices, add the Cognac. Once the Cognac has evaporated, add the white wine. When this reduces by half, add the mustard sauce. Mix well. Add the chicken back into the roasting pan and replace the lid, allowing the chicken to steam in the juices on the stove.

5. Place the cooked pasta in a pot on the stove and reheat it along with 1 tbsp of butter. In a separate pot, reheat the carrot, beetroot, broccoli, kale, and fennel with 1 tbsp of butter. Once heated, place the pasta and vegetables on a plate.

6. Joint or carve the chicken and serve in the roasting pan with the mustard sauce. You need nothing more than a few vegetables and a twirl of noodles.

Enjoy!