Roast Chicken With Pickled Cherries - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb cherries, stems trimmed
2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
10 sprigs fresh thyme
1 None whole chicken (about 4 lbs)
1 medium lemon, scrubbed and quartered
3 cloves garlic, bruised
1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
None None Soft bread rolls
None None Mixed salad, to serve

Preparation

Pack cherries into a hot sterilized jar. Place vinegar, sugar and 5 of the thyme sprigs in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Cook and stir until sugar dissolves. Bring just to a boil; immediately remove pan from heat. Carefully pour hot pickling liquid over cherries in hot jar. Seal. Stand at room temperature until cool. Refrigerate for 1 week.
Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Place chicken in a roasting pan. Insert lemon, remaining 5 sprigs thyme and garlic into cavity; tie legs together with kitchen string. Rub oil all over chicken. Season.
Roast for 1 hour 20 mins, or until chicken is browned and cooked through. Serve chicken with pickled cherries, rolls and salad.