This week's recipe was inspired by a lamb cooked in hay recipe I saw on Come Dine With Me on Channel 4.

I put a layer of hay in the bottom of a roasting tray and added a few sprigs of rosemary. I loosely wrapped the chicken legs in greaseproof paper and put them in the tray, then covered with more hay.

The first attempt at cooking it in the oven was a bit scary. There was a bit of a burning smell and when I opened the oven to check, one of the sprigs of rosemary was hanging over the edge of the tray and had started to singe. I didn't have any foil to cover the tray but I did have a second tray which I put upside down on top of the first. I then felt it was safe to put back in the oven.

The cooking instructions for the chicken legs suggested 30-35 minutes at gas mark 7. After 40 minutes I checked the chicken but it was still raw. I hadn't accounted for the insulating nature of the hay. I removed the chicken from the hay and let it finish cooking 'au naturel' for a further 30 minutes.

The end result was ok but it didn't pick up much flavour from the hay or herbs. I guess if I try it again, I would let it cook for longer.