Cuisine – Delightfully stuffed at Christmas

Ever since my childhood I have always thought Christmas dinner was about chicken. It is an absolute favourite of mine, and I cannot remember my family having turkey, ever. I have to admit that on the odd occasion I have roasted an enormous turkey, the result has been pretty disappointing – dry and stringy in parts and never with the same flavour as a well-seasoned chook.

Mother would buy capons (now hard to find) for our celebratory dinners, and they were always fat, juicy and delicious. Chicken has today become a once a week, if not more often, dinner in most households, but the extra effort of making a tasty stuffing for a larger bird turns this humble roast into a sumptuous meal. Look for chickens that are at least size 16 and preferably larger. The size actually indicates the weight of the bird. Size 16 means at least 1.6kg, 18 is 1.8kg and so on. I was delighted to weigh a size 18 at home recently and find it was actually 2.15kg.

Stuffing should be tasty and filled with interesting flavours. If you make excess stuffing, it’s great to roll it into little balls and roast them alongside the chicken. My all-time favourite is bacon and oyster stuffing, which adds a salty savoury tang to the flesh of the bird.

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Tips

Feel free to make both stuffings if you are roasting chicken this Christmas. The oyster and bacon should go in the cavity at the breast end of the bird and the apricot and herb stuffing in the larger cavity between the legs. For those who don’t like oysters, a couple of tasty sausages, skinned and mixed with the bacon and sourdough will make a great alternative. And always, always remember if you are making the stuffing ahead of time, ensure it is quite cold when you stuff it into the bird. Keep the stuffing or raw chicken well refrigerated until it’s time to cook it.

Christmas Feast Roast Chicken

Size 16 or 18 chicken
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsps softened butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh tarragon sprigs
2 cups light chicken stock
2 tbsps flour (for gravy)

Preheat the oven to 170C. Stuff the chicken with your preferred stuffing and tie the legs together. Place another piece of string around the breast section and tuck the wings in to hold them tightly. Rub the skin with olive oil (and/or butter) and sprinkle with plenty of salt and pepper. Add small sprigs of tarragon over the surface. Place in a roasting pan with one cup of the stock, pop into the oven and bake for about 1 ½ hours, basting occasionally until golden. Test it’s cooked by poking in a skewer to make sure the juices run clear. Remove from the dish to a warmed platter and allow the chicken to rest for at least 25 minutes while you make the gravy.
Discard most of the fat that has run from the bird, but do not tip away the golden drippings. Add the flour to the pan, stirring well over the heat to scrape up the pan drippings. Allow the flour to brown slightly before adding the remaining stock. Stir until the gravy comes to a simmer and then allow to bubble very slowly while the chicken is carved. Serve in a heated jug.

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Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme with apricot stuffing

2 onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp butter
3 fresh apricots, chopped into 1cm cubes
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
2 tbsp milk
3 tbsps chopped parsley
3 tbsps chopped rosemary
3 tbsps chopped fresh sage
3 tbsps chopped fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, well beaten

Place the onions in a frying pan with the butter and sauté over gentle heat until soft and starting to turn golden brown. Remove to a bowl and cool. Moisten the breadcrumbs with the milk and add in with all the other ingredients to mix well. Allow the stuffing to get completely cold before using it to stuff the chicken, or make stuffing balls to surround the bird.

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Oyster and Bacon Stuffing

4 tbsp butter
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
4 rashers bacon, finely chopped
2 thick slices sourdough, chopped into small cubes
200g pottle of oysters, chopped (reserve the juices)
4 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the fennel. Fry gently until it is turning golden, then add the bacon. Continue to fry until the bacon starts to get crisp. Remove from the heat, and add the chopped sourdough, oysters and juices, tarragon, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper. Mix well and, when completely cold, stuff this mixture into the chicken.