CHICKEN WITH PARSLEY AND THYME STUFFING AND ROASTED POTATOES

Chicken with Parsley and Thyme Stuffing and Roasted Potatoes image

Categories Chicken Potato Poultry Roast Bacon Sausage Winter Thyme Bon Appétit

Yield Serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 19

Previous Next

Ingredients

Chicken
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 cups (loosely packed) fresh white breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 5-pound roasting chicken (liver, heart, gizzard and neck reserved)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
14 thick-cut bacon slices
8 medium-size white-skinned potatoes (about 4 pounds), peeled, quartered
8 small pork breakfast sausages
Gravy
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups Chicken Giblet Stock
1/2 cup dry red wine
Red currant jelly

Steps:

For chicken:
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Add breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, lemon juice and lemon peel and stir gently to blend. Season stuffing generously with salt and pepper. Cool. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Spoon stuffing into cavity of chicken. Tie legs together to hold shape. Rub remaining 2 tablespoons butter over outside of chicken. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Pour oil into heavy large roasting pan. Place chicken in pan. Arrange 6 bacon slices over chicken. Arrange potatoes around chicken.
Roast chicken and potatoes 45 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Starting at 1 short end of each remaining bacon slice, roll up into cylinders. Secure with toothpicks. Arrange bacon rolls and sausages around chicken. Remove bacon slices from atop chicken; reserve for garnish. Continue roasting chicken until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F and potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes longer. Transfer chicken, potatoes, sausages and bacon rolls to platter. Tent chicken with aluminum foil to keep warm.
For Gravy:
Pour off all but 3 tablespoons drippings from roasting pan. Finely chop chicken liver. Add liver and onion to drippings in roasting pan and sauté over medium heat until onion begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir 2 minutes. Gradually stir in wine and remaining 1 cup Chicken Giblet Stock. Simmer until thickened to sauce consistency, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish chicken with reserved bacon slices. Pass gravy and jelly separately.