View Braised Whole Chicken with Bread Stuffing with Bacon post
Adapted from Molly Steven’s recipe in All About Braising
The Stuffing:
4 TBSP rendered chicken fat (see post for how to make this) or butter
1.5 cups chopped yellow onion
2/3 cup finely chopped baked ham
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
5 cups 1″ bread pieces torn from slightly stale rustic white bread (about 8 oz).
salt and pepper
The Braise:
One 6-7 lb. roasting chicken, neck, heart and gizzard reserved
salt and pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1 TBSP rendered chicken fat or butter
1 TBSP olive oil
1 large or 2 small carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
3 strips lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used hard cider)
4 strips bacon
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
Directions:
The Stuffing: Melt the fat or butter in a saucepan and add the onion. Cook for about 7 minutes or until translucent. Transfer a medium bowl and toss with the ham, parsley and bread. Toss to evenly distribute the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the oven to 325.
Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water. Pat dry. Chop off the wing tips and reserve. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff with enough stuffing to fill the cavity. Place any leftover stuffing in a baking dish and pour over 1/2 cup of chicken stock, enough to barely moisten the stuffing. Cover with foil and set aside.
Truss the chicken: “Using a length of kitchen string about 30 inches long, truss the chicken: Loop the middle of the string around the ends of the two drumsticks to pull them together. Now bring the ends of the string back along the sides of the chicken, running the string between the leg and the breast on both sides, then turn the chicken over and snag the string over the base of the neck so that it won’t slide down the chicken’s back. Knot the string securely and trim off close to the knot.
Heat the butter or chicken fat and oil in the dutch oven. Once it’s hot add the carrots, onions, wing tips, neck, gizzard and heart. Stir with a wooden spoon to coat everything and saute until brown in spots (about 7 minutes).
Add the rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for one more minute.
Add the wine and bring to a rapid simmer.
Set the chicken on top of the vegetables. Lay the strips over the chicken from head to tail. Gently pout 1.5 cups of stock over the chicken and bring it to a boil.
Cover the chicken with parchment paper and tuck the edges around the chicken. Cover the pan tightly with the lid or with a sheet of heavy duty foil. Slide the pan onto the lower rack of the oven, basting every 30-40 minutes by spooning some of the braising liquid over the breast and lefts. Continue braising until the juices run clear or when the temperature between the thighs and the breast reads 170, about 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours.
When the chicken is almost done, put the dish of stuffing into the oven alongside it or on the rack above it to heat through, about 25 minutes.
Transfer to the chicken to a sturdy baking sheet and loosely cover it with foil. Increase the temperature to 475.
While the oven is heating, tilt the braising pan and skim off as much surface fat as possible. Retrieve the bay leaves, lemon zest, wing tips, heart, neck, and gizzard with tongs. Transfer the vegetables and juices to a blender and puree until smoth. Pour the sauce into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir in cream.
While the sauce is heating, place the chicken in the oven and roast until the top is browned and crusty, about 10 minutes.
Serve the chicken along with the stuffing and a piece of the browned bacon. Pour gravy overtop and have the remaining sauce on the table.
Starving Kitten 