Chicken Cushion & Gravy, using Sutton Hoo Chicken Giblets - By Flora Philips (Floffal)
Serves: 10
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 2¾ hrs plus 15 mins resting and making the gravy
Ingredients:
1 whole Sutton Hoo chicken (approx. 3.3kg)
10 chicken livers
12 chicken hearts
200g breadcrumbs (homemade if possible, from blitzed leftover bread)
Small bunch fresh parsley
Small bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 brown onion, finely diced
1 leek, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, finely diced
Zest of 1 lemon
Butcher’s twine (if preparing the chicken yourself)
For the gravy:
2 shallots, finely diced
2 tbsp plain flour
White wine
500ml chicken stock* (made with celery, onion, garlic, carrots and any spare veg or herbs)
Salt and pepper
Method
You can ask your butcher to debone the whole chicken for you if preferred, but if you’re preparing it yourself, keep all the bones, trimmings and giblets to use later for the stock and gravy.
In a large frying pan, heat a good glug of olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and leeks and sweat until translucent, then stir in the garlic and continue to cook gently without browning.
Scrape the vegetables to one side of the pan, add a little more oil, and fry the chicken hearts and livers for a few minutes on each side. Remove them to cool in a separate bowl. Stir the breadcrumbs into the onion mixture, then remove from the heat and add the lemon zest, parsley and thyme. Once the offal has cooled, finely dice the hearts and livers and mix them into the breadcrumb mixture.
Preheat the oven to 185°C. Place the chicken breast-side down on a sturdy board. With a sharp (preferably boning) knife, make a straight incision down the backbone. Working on one side at a time, trace your knife carefully along the carcass to separate the meat from the bones. When you reach the leg and wing joints, pierce through the ball-and-socket joints and pop them out with your fingers. Continue easing the meat away from the ribs, being careful not to pierce the skin – you want an intact piece ready for stuffing.
When you reach the breastbone, gently scrape the meat away with light, buttering strokes of the knife to avoid tearing. Repeat on the other side until the main carcass is released. Debone the legs and wings as well so you have a completely boned chicken lying flat.
Take about two-thirds of the offal and breadcrumb mixture and shape it into a rough ball. Place it between the chicken breasts. If the inner fillets have come loose, fold them back over the stuffing. Use the remaining mixture to fill the areas near the thighs, legs and neck cavity, arranging it evenly so the chicken forms a balanced ‘cushion’ shape when folded.
Fold one leg back into the centre, followed by the wings, the neck flap and finally the other leg. Tuck in any loose skin or stuffing to create a neat, compact parcel. Turn the cushion over so it sits skin-side up, with the folds underneath. Using butcher’s twine, tie one string horizontally across the middle, another vertically, and several diagonally so they cross in the centre – around six ties in total. Check for any stuffing escaping and tuck it back in securely.
Place the cushion on an oiled and seasoned baking tray, cover with foil, and roast for 2½ hours.
While the chicken cooks, make the stock for the gravy. In a large pot, heat a little oil and sweat a quartered onion, diced carrot, leek, celery, half a bulb of garlic and any vegetable trimmings. Add the reserved chicken bones, carcass and trimmings and allow them to heat through without browning too much. Pour in a generous glug of white wine, then top up with enough water to cover. Add herbs such as bay, thyme, sage and parsley, bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered until rich and aromatic.
After 2½ hours, remove the foil from the cushion and roast uncovered for a further 15 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp. The internal temperature should reach 74°C. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 15 minutes.
To make the gravy, spoon some of the fat and juices from the roasting tray into a clean saucepan. Add the shallots and sweat gently until soft and lightly caramelised. Stir in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine, scraping up all the caramelised bits. Season with salt and pepper, then gradually add the hot chicken stock until you reach your desired consistency. Simmer until the gravy thickens slightly, then remove from the heat.
For a richer finish, whisk in a knob of butter off the heat – but take care not to add too much fat, as this may cause the sauce to split.
Carve the chicken cushion as you would a cake, into generous wedges. Serve with the gravy poured over, a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley, cracked black pepper, and your favourite roast trimmings.
