• 1.5kg whole fresh chicken
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs fresh thyme leaves

• Mushroom, leek & bacon stuffing

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 100g button mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 bacon rashers, rind removed, finely chopped
• 1 leek, pale section only, washed, finely chopped
• 70g (1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)
• 2 tbs chopped fresh continental parsley
• 1 egg, lightly whisked

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. To make the stuffing, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushroom, bacon and leek and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the bacon and mushroom is golden. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, parsley and egg and stir until combined.
2. Remove excess fat and giblets from chicken cavity. Rinse the chicken inside and out under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towel. Loosely fill the cavity with stuffing mixture. Use unwaxed white kitchen string to tie the legs together. Tuck wings under. Place chicken, breast-side up in a roasting pan. Drizzle over the oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with thyme.
3. Roast in oven for 1 1/2 hours or until golden and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Cover with foil. Set aside for 10 minutes to rest before carving. Serve