Description
A plump juicy chicken stuffed with umami deliciousness!
Ingredients
Chicken
1 large free-range chicken
3 Tbsp (45 ml) softened butter
4 sage leaves
butcher’s twine/trussing string
Stuffing
6 rashers of streaky bacon, diced
2 Tbsp (30 ml) butter
1 onion, finely chopped
3 fat cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh thyme
500 g combination of assorted mushrooms (shitake, brown, king oyster), finely chopped
25 g dried porcini mushrooms hydrated in ¼ (60 ml) boiling water, finely chopped
1 C (250 ml) fresh white breadcrumbs
¼ C (60 ml) grated Parmesan cheese
zest of 1 lemon
1 large egg, beaten
olive oil for drizzling
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
extra 8 rashers of streaky bacon
Instructions
Chicken
Loosen the skin on the breast side of the chicken and rub butter underneath the skin together with a few sage leaves. Be careful not to pierce the skin.
Stuffing
In a large frying pan, sauté the bacon until crispy, add the butter and fry the onions, garlic and thyme until fragrant and softened. Add the mushrooms, season and sauté until browned and the excess liquid has cooked away.
Spoon the mixture into a mixing bowl and allow to cool. Add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, zest and egg. Mix until well combined and season generously with salt and pepper.
Spoon the cooled stuffing into the chicken cavity and then use butcher’s twine to truss the chicken, or simply tie the legs together. Use the leftover stuffing to make individual balls and wrap each in a rasher of bacon.
Rub the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast on a rack placed over a roasting tray for 1 hour then add the stuffing balls and roast for a further 30 minutes or until golden and the juices from the chicken run clear. Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Tip: Make a gravy from the cooking juices by adding 500 ml of chicken stock and a splash of old brown sherry. Thicken by mixing a little cornflour with cold water and whisking this into the mixture.
