Roasted Chicken with Stuffing / Pui prajit cu umplutura

Directions

1. Chop walnuts to ½ c and toast in a dry skillet.

2. Peel and coarsely chop onion and a little less than half the garlic cloves.

3. Sauté onion in a bit of oil until soft, then add chopped garlic and sauté 2-3 more minutes.

4. Beat egg in a medium bowl. Add walnuts, onions and garlic to the bowl, mix well and set aside.

5. Cut bread into small cubes. Melt butter in the hot skillet (the some one used for onions) and sauté the bread cubes with rosemary and thyme until they start to get dry and crispy. (Keep heat low so the herbs don’t burn.)

6. Add bread cubes to the bowl, along with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

7. Preheat your oven to medium. Check to be sure your chicken is completely thawed (if using a frozen bird) and make sure you’ve removed all the goodies from inside (feet, head, neck, etc.).

8. Fill the bird with stuffing – pack the stuffing loosely because it will expand. If you pack the bird too tightly, your stuffing will be a compact brick, rather than light and fluffy. (If you have extra stuffing, you can bake it separately in a baking dish.)

8. Arrange whole stuffed chicken – breast up - in a large oven-proof pan.

9. Peel the remaining garlic. Make small slits in the chicken’s skin, and insert the whole garlic cloves. Dust the bird with salt and pepper.

10. Put the bird in the oven – check periodically and turn down the oven (or cover with tin foil) if it’s browning too fast. When you check it, spoon a bit of the juice released during cooking over the top.

11. Roast for about 1 hr 20 min. When the bird is done, the wings will start to loosen up, and the internal temperature between the drum and the body (if you have a thermometer) will be between 180-185 degrees F. You can also test the bird by simply cutting into it either between the drum and the body or at the thickest part of the breast – this will ruin the look of your bird if you have to test it a few times, but it gets the job done.

 

Notes: This recipe can be used for chicken, or turkey. You can adjust the time and amount of stuffing based on the size of your bird. This recipe makes about 3 c stuffing – which is about right for a 4 lb bird. Generally chicken requires about 20 min per 1 lb. Turkey is closer to 15 min per 1 lb. But, use this as a rough guide – always use another method to double check. If the meat is pink – it’s not done!

 

Variations: This stuffing recipe is about as basic as it gets. Nice additions include chopped mushrooms, apple, celery or chestnuts. You can also vary the spices to your taste. For a bit richer flavor, pour ½ to 1 c dry white wine into the roasting pan and use that, along with the juices to baste the bird. A flavorful whole wheat bread will give your stuffing more character than white bread.

 

Substitutions: Chicken/Turkey.