A Roast Chicken is just NOT a Roast Chicken without this delicious Stuffing in the Beetham family household. This recipe has been passed down from generation to generation in our family, and has NEVER been bettered - by anyone! And believe me, it does NOT get better! I Promise! With much thanks to our late Granny Mabel Webb - her recipe now lives on, and has never, yet, been beat!
We would throw a fit if anyone served us an “unstuffed chicken!” To us, this is NOT how you a roast chicken, or a turkey! Throughout my entire life, I have NEVER roasted a chicken/turkey without this stuffing!
Just wait until you smell this cooking!!!! The smell of this wafting through your house whilst roasting? You will not be able to resist the urge to pick at this stuffing whilst it is roasting away in your oven!!!!
Note: Any leftover stuffing may be gently slipped under the chicken breast skin, pushing any excess, even into the legs, using an inverted tablespoon gently - to not break the skin. No need to sew up the chicken cavity, as the filling sets while it roasts. You may season your chicken lightly on the outside with the same herbs and spices before roasting, or you may just lightly salt the outside. Bake uncovered on a rack placed in a roasting pan to catch drippings (fat and stock). Bake no higher than 160 C.
Ingredients:
1 large roasting chicken weighing a minimum of 1.4 kg with a maximum of 1.7 kg
Sprinkling salt and pepper
4 slices streaky bacon, finely chopped (I buy the bacon bits - diced)
2 pork sausage bangers, slipped out of skins
1 small to medium onion, grated - or finely chopped
Sprinkling mixed dried herbs
Sprinkling dried parsley
Very big pinch dried sage (We use a lot more than the other herbs)
1 large egg
3 – 4 slices of stale bread broken up into crumbs -- or -- for "gluten-free" use 40 g (45 ml) of raw rice (ground up in your coffee grinder)
Method - Stuffing:
Food Processor: With your metal blade on, finely dice your onion. Add the balance of your ingredients excluding the egg. blend together well. Add your egg, blending in well. Adjust seasoning - give it another whizz. Remove, and stuff chicken.
Manual: Finely dice your onion, add it to the rest of your stuffing ingredients, then bind it all together with your hands, and stuff your chicken cavity.
Reserve some stuffing, and gently slip under the chicken breast skin, as this will keep your breast moist. Any excess may be pushed into the legs using an inverted tablespoon - do not break the skin. No need to sew up the chicken cavity, as the filling sets while it roasts. Rub the outside of your chicken with the same herb mixture and salt lightly. Roast, breast side up, at 160 C (320 F) for the first one hour, then gently turn over your chicken and roast, breast side down, for a further one hour. The lower the temperature, the more servings you will render and the less meat shrinkage there will be.
Roast Chicken at 160 C Any leftover stuffing may be gently slipped under the chicken breast skin, pushing any excess, even into the legs, using an inverted tablespoon gently - to not break the skin. No need to sew up the chicken cavity, as the filling sets while it roasts. You may season your chicken lightly on the outside with the same herbs and spices before roasting, or you may just lightly salt the outside. Bake uncovered on a rack placed in a roasting pan to catch drippings (fat and stock). Bake no higher than 160 C.
To make the best ever cocktail sausage rolls: You may use my boerewors recipe spice mixture kneaded into a bought lean beef mince, or you may use the Kofta Kebabs Spice mixture together with Today’s Puff Pastry. You may also use a bought boerewors slipped out of its skins or casings.
Method: Cut pastry into 8 strips across the length and place meat mixture onto the pastry, then roll it up. Bake seam side down in preheated oven of 240 degrees C (464 F) then turn down to 220 C (428 F) and bake another 20 minutes until done. Drop-dead delish! Always handle puff pastry cold and keep it chilled and be careful with your warm hands not to melt the layers of fat within, which is what gives it its “puff.”
Tip: For drop-dead delish bacon and cheese scrolls or mini cocktail sausage rolls .. Pre-fry bacon bits and spread cooled bits onto pastry strips, grate lots of cheddar cheese over. Roll up and bake in the same method, as above, for a drop-dead delicious breakfast treat !! – Enjoy!!