Ingredients - serves 4 1.8kg chicken 4 rashers of streaky smoked bacon 1 onion, peeled generous sprig of fresh sage leaves 50g softened butter 1 savoy cabbage 4 rashers of streaky smoked bacon, cut into lardon 20g butter 250ml chicken stock salt, pepper

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C
Halve the onion and place inside the chicken cavity together with the sage. Rub the softened butter all over the skin of the chicken and season with salt and pepper, place it in a roasting tin and transfer to the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and baste liberally with the butter the drape the rashers of bacon across the breast bone. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C and return the chicken to cook for a further 40 - 50 minutes or until the juices run clear when tested. Baste once more during that time. and rest it in a warm place for 10 minutes before carving.

2 Trim, halve and shred the savoy cabbage. Melt butter and cook the smoked bacon lardon for a couple of minutes before adding the cabbage to the pan to fry for a minute or two over gentle heat. Season and pour in the chicken stock, bring to a simmer then cover and cook for 8-10 minutes to tender. Add some of the buttery chicken juices to the cabbage and serve on hot plates with chicken, braising sauce and mashed potato.