Method:

• Preheat the oven to 220°C.
• Heat half of the olive oil in a large frying pan on medium heat.
• Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the mushrooms and half of the thyme leaves. Turn up the heat and fry for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the mushrooms become slightly crispy.
• Remove the mushrooms from the heat, then add the zest of the lemon and a squeeze of lemon juice, and season to taste. Set aside to cool.
• Once the mushrooms have cooled, add the breadcrumbs, pistachio nuts, beaten egg and soft butter to make the stuffing. Season.
• Carefully push your fingers between the meat and the skin of the chicken to gently create a pocket for the stuffing. Push a quarter of the stuffing into this pocket. Insert the remaining thyme sprigs into the chicken cavity, followed by the rest of the stuffing.
• Drizzle the chicken with the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Place the chicken on a baking tray and place it in the preheated oven. Once the chicken is in the oven, turn the heat down to 200°C.
• Cook the chicken for about 60 minutes, until it is golden brown and cooked through. When pierced, the juices must run clear.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving with herbed barley risotto.