Chicken with thyme, rosemary and pinenuts

1.5-2kg organic Chicken
olive oil
salt and pepper
300g Basmati rice
750ml chicken stock
pinch of saffron
80g pine nuts lightly toasted
60g Raisins soaked in boiling water for about 10 mins
4 sprigs of thyme leaves stripped and chopped
4 sprigs of Rosemary stripped and chopped

Place chicken in Roasting tin and rub over with Olivc oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast in the roasting oven for about 1 hour or until the bird is cooked and has a crispy skin.

Meanwhile, cook the rice in the stock and the saffron, bring to the boil on the boiling plate, then transfer the pan with a lid on to the simmer oven for about 20 minutes.

When the chicken is ready remove from the roasting tin, reserving the tin and juices for the rice. Chop up the chicken and the crispy skin. Re heat the roasting tin on the simmering plate, add the herbs, rice and the drained raisins, pine nuts and toss in the juices.

Transfer to a serving platter and lay the chicken on the top.

Tatty Happell produced this dish at our recent demonstration and it received good comments.

I have since made this dish but substituted currants for raisins as my children do not like raisins.