A comforting, easy, all in one dish with the mellow flavors of Greece. Besides boosting the flavor, the stuffing keeps the chicken moist while it roasts. The rice added near the end of the cooking time absorbs the pan juices making it ridiculously delicious. This is one you will want to come back to again and again.
Air-Chilled – The secret to a roast chicken with crisp, golden skin is making sure its bone dry before roasting. Chickens need to be cooled quickly after slaughter and most processors accomplish this by dunking them in ice-cold water (laced with chlorine and other disinfectants). Efficient, yes, but leaving it soggy, which means the skin will never develop a lovely brown color. Air-chilled chickens are hung on a rack and cooled with chilled air. All birds in France are air-chilled, elsewhere, if you can’t find an air-chilled bird, pat whole chickens or pieces with paper towel to remove most of the moisture before cooking.
A Diana Henry inspired dish.
Roasted Chicken Stuffed with Feta, Tomatoes and Oregano & Rice
Ingredients
- Serves 4 to 6
- 1.8 kg (4 lb) chicken, (preferably, air-chilled & free-range)
- 75 g (2 ¾ oz) feta cheese
- 115 g (4 oz) cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 75 g (2 ¾ oz) sour dough or country-style bread cut into small cubes
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for chicken
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular if that’s what you have)
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 250 g basmati rice
- 500 ml boiling chicken stock (plus more if necessary)
- Fresh, chopped flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190°C (400°F).
- Mix the feta, tomatoes, bread, olive oil, garlic, 2 teaspoons of dried oregano and salt & pepper in a small bowl. Stuff into the cavity of the chicken, cross the ends of the legs and tie together with kitchen twine. This will keep the stuffing from falling out and to help the bird keeps it shape while its cooking.
- Rub the chicken all over with olive oil, then sprinkle it with the paprika and rub that in as well. Sprinkle with the rest of the oregano and season with salt & pepper.
- Put the chicken the oven-proof dish and roast 50 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, place the basmati rice in a sieve and rinse with cold water. Drain. Scatter the rice around the chicken and stir to coat with any fat or cooking juices in the bottom of the pan. Add the boiling water, return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Check the rice, if it’s too dry, add a little more water or stock and return to the oven for 5 – 10 minutes or until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.
- The chicken should be cooked, check by piercing the thigh with a small knife, the juices should run clear.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Cover the roasting dish with a dish towel then a lid or a plate if you don’t have a lid and let it rest while you cut the chicken into parts. Spoon the dressing into a bowl and serve on the side.
- Fluff the rice, place the chicken pieces on top and sprinkle with parsley.
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https://www.charlottepuckette.com/recipes/main-dish-meatpoultry/roasted-chicken-stuffed-with-feta-tomatoes-and-oregano-rice/
