Roast chicken, carrots and mustard crème fraîche

Tom’s credentials

‘We rear a number of slow-growing breeds of chicken for meat at the farm. They spend their lives outside, roaming a mix of rich perennial pasture, partial woodland and fruit trees. The land they inhabit could be described as agro- forestry. It is an area where we have deliberately integrated trees and shrubs into the pastured farming system to aid biodiversity, capture carbon, and create more resilience for animals and crops alike. It is very early days, but if the chickens and proliferation of bees and other insects are anything to go by, it is a path well worth treading.’

Tom’s tip for sustainable sourcing

‘A chicken that is allowed to grow slowly and living a life where it can display all of its natural attributes of foraging, scratching, grazing and roosting will be a joy to cook and to eat. A good butcher can help with jointing.’

Why have you chosen this recipe?

‘We farm a variety of animals, but chicken is my favourite to cook. The difference between a well-reared free-range bird and a fast-grown commodity supermarket one is immense. A good chicken can give you a number of nutritious meals, such is their versatility. We’ve amassed lots of recipes while cooking at Coombeshead. Most are only relevant to the restaurant, but this one works well at home.’