Roast Chicken with Grapefruit or Oranges

Serves 6. Peparation time 30 minutes. Cooking time 1 hour approx.

Ingredients

1 Chicken 1.5 to 1.75kg

2 Tbs Brandy

2 Grapefruit or 4 oranges

2 Rashers streaky bacon

50g Of lard or 3tbs sunflower oil

4-5 Sprigs fresh watercress

Salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200c / 400f gas mark 6

Season the chicken inside and out with saalt and pepperand place in a roasting tin

Peel one grapefruit or two oranges and cut out the segments discarding the white pith which is bitter.

Heat the brandy in a small saucepanfor a few seconds and ignite. When it has burned for a monent pour it into the chicken and then add the fruit segments

Place one rasher of bacon on the breast and the other on the back of the bird and secure with cocktail sticks and then spread with lard or oil

Roast, turning occasionallyand basting with the cooking juices for 30 minutes

Now squeeze the remaining citrus fruit and add the juice to the pan and continue cooking, turning and basting for a further 30 minutes untill the chicken is cooked. Check that it is done by piercing the thickest part of the thigh to ensure that there is no blood and the juces run clear

Serve warm with the fruit segments and garnish with the watercress

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