Instructions: Pre-heat the oven to 200 C/400 F/gas mark 6

To make the pesto, blend all the ingredients but the cheese in a small blender. Blend until smooth, then stir in the parmesan.

Spread half the pesto on the inside of the flattened carcass of the boned bird. Layer with pecans and apricots. Wrap the chicken breasts in 2 slices of the parma ham amd place these centrally on the pesto.

Now spread the remaining pesto on top of them. Wrap the boned bird around these to make a neat joint. Put the joint in a terrine or 900g

(2lb) loaf tin. Pour around the wine, brush the breasts of the bird with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover loosely with foil. Roast for 1 1/2 hours, removing the foil and basting after 1 hour. Baste 20 minutes later.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin, then refrigerate overnight. Remove from the tin, place on a board and cut across into slices about 2 1/2cm (1 inch) thick. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and scatter the plate with fresh coriander and flat leaf parsley. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

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