CookEat Recipe
Chicken Roasted with Prosciutto, Garlic and Fennel
Chicken filled with broad strips of prosciutto, whole garlic cloves, fennel sprigs and peppercorns, then gently roasted in a buttered casserole.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 1 professionally dressed chicken, about 1.3 kg, with head, neck, feet and internal organs removed; 100 g prosciutto with fat and lean, cut into strips a little wider than a finger; 3 whole garlic cloves, peeled; 2 small sprigs of culinary fennel greens or fronds; 6 whole black peppercorns; 30 g butter; Salt and ground black pepper.
Step 2
Keep the chicken refrigerated until preparation and do not rinse it. Pat dry and put the prosciutto strips loosely into the cavity with the three whole garlic cloves, two fennel sprigs and peppercorns. Season the outside with salt and ground pepper, remembering that the prosciutto already contains salt. Close with food-safe kitchen string if needed and begin cooking promptly.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Melt the butter in a snug ovenproof casserole, add the chicken and turn gently to coat and lightly colour the skin. Cover with the casserole lid and put in the oven; surrounding oven heat replaces the historical heat above and below the pot.
Step 4
Roast for about 1–1½ hours, turning the chicken and basting with its own juices two or three times. Keep the lid on and the heat gentle so the juices do not scorch; no stock or tomato is added. If the skin needs more colour, uncover briefly near the end. Check at least 82°C in the thickest bird meat and 74°C in the cavity contents.
Step 5
Rest for about ten minutes, remove every tie, take out the filling and remove woody fennel stems before carving. Serve with the cooked prosciutto, softened garlic and buttery juices, warning diners about any remaining whole peppercorns.
Step 6
For the sausage version, replace the prosciutto with 2 fresh plain pork sausages, about 200 g total. Split them lengthwise and cook through in a little of the recipe butter until at least 74°C, then use in the cavity with the same garlic, fennel and peppercorns. Stuff loosely immediately before roasting and follow the same whole-bird and cavity temperature checks. This preliminary sausage cooking is a modern addition.
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