Pollo in Porchetta (Chicken made in the manner of suckling pig)

Ingredients

• 100gms of  pancetta
• 14 large leaves sage
• 10 juniper berries
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 Tbsp rosemary leaves
• 6 -7 whole black peppercorns
• Salt and Pepper

For the chicken

• 1 chicken
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Method

Prepare the stuffing by coarsely cutting the pancetta and coarsely chopping 10 of the sage leaves, the juniper berries, bay leaf and rosemary leaves, then mix in the peppercorns, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Rinse the chicken inside and out, leave in all the fat. Fill the cavity of the chicken with the stuffing mixture and sew up both ends, placing the 4 remaining sage leaves in the neck end before sewing it up, then tie the chicken up as you would a roast.

Abundantly salt and pepper the outside of the chicken and place in a roasting pan along with the olive oil. Cook in the preheated oven for abpout 1 hour. By that time the chicken should be cooked and golden.

Transfer the chicken to a serving dish and serve hot.