Its really very easy to bone a whole chicken, but if you prefer it, you can ask your butcher to do this for you..

- 1 chicken, weighting about 5 pounds
- 8 slices mortadella or salami
- 2 cups fresh white or brown bread crumbs
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
- 1 egg, beaten
- pepper
- fresh spring vegetables, to serve

1. Bone the chicken, keeping the skin intact. Dislocate each leg by breaking it at the tight joint. Cut down each side of the backbone, taking care not to pierce the breast skin.

2. Pull the backbone clear of the flesh and discard. Remove the ribs, severing any attached flesh with a sharp knife.

3. Scrape the flesh from each leg and cut away the bones at the joint with a knife or shears.

4. Use the bones for stock. Lay out the boned chicken on a board, skin side down. Arrange the mortadella slices over the chicken, overlapping slightly.

5. Put the bread crumbs, Parmesan, garlic, and basil or parsley in a bowl. Season with pepper to taste, and mix together well. Stir in the beaten egg to bind the mixture together. Spoon the mixture down the middle of the boned chicken, roll the meat around it and then tie securely with string.

6. Place in a roasting pan and brush lightly with olive oil. Roast in a preheated oven, 400 degrees Fahrenheit, for 1 and a half hours or until the juices run clear when pierced.

7. Serve hot or cold, in slices, with fresh spring vegetables.