Chicken Crown 1.3 kg

Roasting a whole bird to achieve perfectly cooked breasts and legs can be a challenge - a chicken* crown offers a simpler solution, reducing cooking time for succulent, juicy meat. Simply stuff with half a lemon and sprigs of fresh thyme, or baste with a yoghurt-based tandoori marinade, then roast at a high heat.

Our free-range, slow-grown chicken crowns are perfect for a variety of preparations, delivering distinct flavour and a tender texture. If the breasts are your preferred cut, cooking them on the crown is an excellent option, as the bone helps retain moisture and adds depth of flavour. Plus, you’ll have the bones left over for a rich stock.

Inspired by Chef George Ryle:
"Browned in a pan with foaming butter and then roasted through the oven on a bed of wild mushrooms. Served with a side dish of little Austrian dumplings called Spätzle and a Vermouth cream sauce.

Brined overnight and then poached in stock. Add some rice, pasta or noodles plus some vegetables of your choice for a healthy and restorative broth.

For pure simplicity, roast the crown hard, smothered in butter, with fresh thyme, lemon and garlic in its cavity. Let it cool, carve off the bone and slice thinly. Then proceed to make an epic sandwich – good quality bread, a fairly aggressive aïoli, perhaps with some wild garlic chopped through it if the season is right and watercress. Hard to top that!

Don’t forget to keep the bones for bone broth. Just cover with water and bring to a gentle simmer, add peppercorns, fennel seeds, an onion, a carrot and a couple of fresh bay leaves."

*Swaledale is a whole carcass butcher so in addition to our chicken crowns, a full range of fresh, free range chicken products are available, including chicken thighs, breasts and wings. Our chicken is versatile and can be the perfect meat for whatever meal you're cooking; whether it's a curry, summer barbecue or a roast dinner, our tasty and high welfare chicken will shine.

**The following have been published on our journal: a detailed guide on how to cook a chicken crown and George Ryle's recipe roast chicken crown, wild mushrooms & cream sauce.