Maggie's feast

This festive season, Maggie Beer shares some of her best-loved dishes that have stood the test of time. The magic is in the care with choosing the very freshest ingredients and the simplicity of their preparation.

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Maggie's roast chicken with pancetta & walnut stuffing

SERVES 6 PREP + COOK TIME 2 HOURS (+ RESTING TIME)

2kg free range chicken

1kg Dutch cream potatoes, peeled, chopped coarsely

1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil

60g unsalted butter

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil, extra 100ml verjuice

1/4 cup rosemary leaves

STUFFING

60g pancetta, chopped finely

1/2 cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra if needed

4 fresh chicken livers (optional)

1 large (250g) brown onion, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves

1/4 cup lemon thyme sprigs

1 cup coarse sourdough breadcrumbs

1/2 cup (60g) walnuts, roasted and most of the skins rubbed off

1 Take the chicken out of the refrigerator one hour before cooking.

2 STUFFING Heat a nonstick frying pan over high heat, add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until browned lightly and crisp. Remove from pan. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the same pan. Once hot, add the chicken livers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and leave to rest for 5 minutes, then remove and discard any sinew and chop into small chunks. Pour the remaining olive oil into the same pan and place over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme and cook for just a minute, then transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs, walnuts and mix well, then add the liver and pancetta and gently stir to just combine. Add some extra oil if necessary to bind the mixture, season to taste, then set aside to cool.

3 Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced).