Warm roast chicken salad with a creamy tarragon dressing

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Mix together the butter, tarragon, garlic and some salt and pepper. Put the flavoured butter into the cavity of the chicken, then brush the outside of the bird with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Put into a small roasting tin and roast for 11/4 hours, basting the chicken with the buttery juices for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the salad. For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together until smooth and then season to taste. Arrange the lettuce leaves over a large serving platter with the tomatoes, cucumber, radishes and spring onions. Cover and leave somewhere cool.

3. Remove the chicken from the oven and leave to rest for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add the eggs to a pan of simmering water and boil for 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.

4. To joint the chicken, cut the breast meat away from the bones in 2 whole pieces and then slice each piece in half on the diagonal. Cut off the legs and cut them in half at the joint. Shell the warm eggs and cut them into quarters.

5. Arrange the warm chicken pieces and eggs over the salad and drizzle with a little of the dressing. Take to the table with a bowl of the remaining dressing and serve with buttered new potatoes.