Chicken ballottine with spinach, cheese and bread stuffing

Cut off the wing tips and second joint of each wing. Lift the skin at the neck, cut around the wishbone and pry it out.

Lay the bird on its side and cut from the neck down to the tail. Lift the skin at the shoulder joint and cut through the joint on both sides.

Pry each wing back to expose the oyster. With two fingers either side of the breastbone, pull down to release the white meat from the sternum.

Free the oysters at the leg joints, cut the sinew and pull out the carcass.

Pull off the two small white meat fillets and scrape away their sinew.

Scrape the meat down the thigh bone, around the knee and down the drumstick; break the bone at the tip with the back of the knife so the end stays on the skin and the skin does not shrink.

Cut around the wing joints and pull out each wing bone.

Cut the bread into half inch cubes. Chop the garlic. Wash the spinach.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add the garlic with the salt and pepper and soften 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook until wilted.

Drain off the excess water, transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature.

Lay the fillets and oyster meat into the gaps on the boned chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread the spinach over, then the grated Gruyere, then the bread cubes, evenly. Push stuffing into the legs.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Roll up the chicken, sides first, then fold the neck skin over to lock the stuffing in.

Tie the legs in place, then tie with twine at half inch spaces, looping and sliding under each time. Finish with a string lengthwise head to tail, looped and knotted.

Put the chicken in the pan and roast 1 hour at 400F, rotating the pan halfway through.

Dice the celery, chop the onion, dice the carrots.

Lift the chicken out and pour off most of the cooking fat.

Over medium heat, deglaze the pan with the water and wine, scraping up the fond.

Strain into a saucepan, add the vegetables and bring to a boil.

Dissolve the potato starch in the water. Stir it into the sauce with the soy sauce and return to a boil to thicken. Add the chicken's cooking juices.

Remove the string. Cut a few slices an inch thick and keep the rest whole.

Arrange on a platter, spoon sauce over the end piece and around, and finish with chopped parsley.