Lemon Chicken

1 x 1.5 kg/3 lb oven-ready chicken with giblets
salt
1 medium onion, peeled
1 small bay leaf
1 lemon
1 carrot, peeled and quartered
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried
marjoram
4 black peppercorns
600 ml/1 pint water
Sauce:
450 ml/3/1 pint hot stock (strained from the
chicken)
40 g/11/2 oz polyunsaturated margarine
40 g/11/2 oz plain unbleached white flour
1 egg yolk
4 tablespoons single cream
juice of 1/2 lemon
parsley sprigs, to garnish

Sprinkle the body cavity of the chicken with salt and insert the onion and the bay leaf. Cut the lemon in half, rub one cut surface over the chicken and reserve the other half for garnishing. Place the bird in a deep pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the washed giblets, a thin strip of lemon rind, the carrot, celery, marjoram. peppercorns, 1 teaspoon salt and the water. Bring to the boil, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and simmer gently for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is tender and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a metal skewer.

Straits the stock from the chicken, leaving the bird in the pan to keels warm. Melt the margarine in a small saucepan, remove front the heat, stir in the flour and cook gently, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually add the hot stock, stirring briskly until smoothly blended. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring continuously, until the sauce boils, then simmer gently for 5 to It) minutes until it has thickened.

Mix the egg yolk with the cream, stir in 2 tablespoons of the hot sauce, then pour into the sauce and stir over low heat for. 1 minute, but do not boil. Add lemon juice to taste and adjust the seasoning. To serve, carve the chicken into joints, arrange on a serving dish and spoon over the sauce. Garnish with the reserved lemon half cut into wedges and sprigs of parsley and serve with plain boiled rice as an accompaniment.

SERVES 4 to 6