Inside-Out Stuffed Chicken

I got hit with the challenge bug. Suzy from Kitchen Bouquet threw out a challenge and I answered with this really delicious roast chicken. Stop by Suzy's Kitchen Bouquet to join her Great Cooking Magazine Challenge on Sunday, February 6th to take her up on the challenge!


After reading the first reviews on the Martha Stewart site, and listening to my friend, Bubbe, I changed up the directions a little bit. Bubbe thought cooking the chicken for a while BEFORE putting the stuffing might be a good idea, who needs all that fat sucked into the bread? And we thought maybe the bread would be too moist with all the juices. Not a bad idea, so I tried that, but almost dropped the hot chicken on the floor. Miraculous that I didn't! and after only thirty minutes of cooking it wasn't releasing any juices at that point anyway. But the stuffing did well with the shorter cooking time, so I'd do the same thing again. Maybe use a foil pan to roast the chicken to start. My three dogs would have been extremely happy if the chicken had reached the floor!

And then because I never have good results with a high heat, I lowered the temp. I know some folks do fine with high heat cooking, it just never works out for me. So I lowered the temp to 350 degrees F. Came out great! I also used a lot less butter, maybe four tablespoons and instead of onions, I sed two large shallots. Served with green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, this was a really homey kind of meal!  A very big hit, even with Miss Picky!

If you click on this Martha Stewart link, you'll see the original recipe, along with some reviews! The recipe I have posted on here is my adapted recipe, which worked out really well for us! We absolutely loved it. Great stuffing, the sides that were exposed got crunchy, and the inside of the stuffing under the chicken was really moist! Came out perfect.

Thanks for a great challenge, Suzy, my magazine pile is getting smaller and smaller!

Until next month, LOL!

and just for my friend, Kathleen, of Cuisine Kathleen fame, I am serving this little chickie in a Revol White Chicken Roaster. I know how much she loves that Chicken Roaster!

 

I'm also joining Mary's Mosaic Monday. For more mosaic's stop by the Little Red House!

 

 

 

Inside-Out "Stuffed" Roast Chicken
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Original source: From Martha Stewart Living, January 2011
Printable Recipe

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large onion, thinly sliced or 2 large shallots
3 celery stalks, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
6 cups day-old rustic-bread cut in 1-inch cubes (I used a fresh, crusty baguette!)
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
1 whole chicken (about 4 1/2 pounds)
1 small lemon or clementine orange (poke holes in it with a fork)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Place chicken in a roasting pan, breast side up, and tuck wings under. Put the lemon (or clementine) inside the cavity and tie legs together with kitchen twine. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Stuff a tablespoon of butter under the skin on the breast. Season with salt and pepper. Roast uncovered for about 30-40 minutes.

While the chicken is roasting, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over high heat. Cook onion, celery, and garlic until translucent, about 5 - 10 minutes. Season with salt. Add mushrooms and 1 tablespoon of butter to the onion mixture. Stir and cook for another ten minutes, until mushrooms soften. Stir in bread, stock, juice, and sage. Mix well so the bread absorbs the juices. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir, then put the stuffing mixture in the bottom of a roasting pan and place the chicken on top of the stuffing, the chicken will be hot, be careful transferring the chicken.

Continue to roast for about an hour and a half, more or less, until juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
 

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