Ingredients:

• Whole chicken (3-5 pounds)
• Dried Porcini mushrooms (5-6)
• Garlic cloves (3-4 cloves)
• Variety of mushrooms (I used portobella, baby bella and shiitake)
• Thyme (a bunch; fresh preferred; I used dried)
• Butter (12 tablespoons)
• Parsley (1/2 bunch; finely chopped)
• Flour (4 cups)
• Olive oil
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

In a small bowl, cover the porcini mushrooms with boiling water for 10 minutes.

In the meantie, peal the garlic cloves and chop them finely. Also, slice the mushrooms into bite size pieces.

Remove the poricini mushrooms from the water and roughly chop them.

Place a pan on medium heat and add some olive oil and add the garlic and mushrooms. Add the thyme and cook for 5-8 minutes. Pour the soaking liquor through a sieve to avoid any dirt. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the sauce thickens and season it with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and set it aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF.

Place the flour into a large bowl, then gradually pour in ice-cold water. Using your hands knead it into a soft, elastic dough. Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest.

In a bowl, add the chopped parsley and then add the mushrooms into it. Add room temperature butter into the bowl and then mix it together.

Using your fingers carefully separate the skin from the meat of the chicken to create air pockets and be careful not to rip the skin.

Drizzle some oil and season the chicken with salt and pepper all over. Fill the mushroom filling between the skin and meat and also some in the cavity.

Roll out the dough to 1 cm thickness, spread some of the mushroom filling over the dough and then place the chicken over the mushroom and then cover the chicken all over with mushroom butter. Wrap the dough around the chicken and make sure it is sealed properly.

Drizzle some oil over a baking sheet and then place the wrapped chicken and put it in the oven for an hour and 40 minutes.

Remove to a board to rest for 30 minutes, then using a knife break open the crust and discard the crust (do not eat the crust). Check the chicken is cooked through and then carve it.