SERVES 4
For the salt-baked chicken:
free-range chicken 1.2-1.5kg
Maldon sea salt 1.25 kg
fresh thyme ½ a bunch, roughly chopped
fresh bay leaves ½ a bunch, roughly chopped
fresh lavender ½ a bunch, roughly chopped
For the chicken glaze:
chicken trimmings
shallots 2, chopped
white wine 200ml
chicken stock 1 litre
For the vegetables:
breakfast radishes 1 bunch
butter 1 knob
baby carrots 1 bunch, peeled
fresh carrot juice 500ml
baby beetroot 1 bunch, peeled
demerara sugar 2 cubes
balsamic vinegar 100ml
your favourite vinaigrette
To serve:
chive flowers 100g
wild garlic flowers 100g
cherry blossom 100g
Alexander leaves 100g
wood sorrel 100g
wild fennel 100g
Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
To make the salt-baked chicken, mix the Maldon sea salt with the chopped fresh thyme, bay leaves and lavender and a little water. Take the chicken and coat it evenly in the salt and herb mix. The salt coat has to be at least 1cm thick. Place the chicken in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
To make the glaze, roast the chicken trimmings in a hot pan with a little oil until golden brown. Add the chopped shallots and continue cooking for a few minutes. Add the white wine and reduce by half, then add the chicken stock and some leftover lavender stalks. Simmer until reduced by half. Pass the glaze through a fine sieve; keep warm.
For the vegetables, cook the radishes in an emulsion of equal quantities of butter and water until tender. Cook the peeled baby carrots in the carrot juice until tender and reserve the cooking liquid. Cover the peeled baby beetroot with water, demerara sugar and balsamic vinegar. Bring to the boil and cook until tender.
Pick and wash the flowers, blossom, leaves and herbs. Glaze the chicken then sprinkle on the flowers and herbs.
Tristan Welch is head chef at Launceston Place, London
