Justin Wade, Retail Butchery

"Roast chicken always takes me back to my childhood Christmases, with tables piled high with every kind of roast imaginable: chicken, lamb, pork and the festive ham. The chicken, though, was always the one that got overlooked.

When I started out as an apprentice butcher, one of the first things I learned to make was a chicken ballotine — a whole chicken that’s been deboned, stuffed, and rolled before roasting. They’re brilliant to carve, hard to overcook and make such a satisfying centrepiece for the Christmas table.

Each year, I make a version filled with flavours I love. This one takes its cues from my travels and my love of classic French cooking: a rich farce wrapped around a log of foie gras, then encased in soft confit leek. It’s the ultimate roast chicken."