CHICKEN WITH WHOLE-OAT STUFFING

Chicken with Whole-Oat Stuffing image

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 12

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1 1/4 cups whole oats (sometimes called oat groats, available at natural foods stores)
4 shallots, minced
1 cup finely diced fennel bulb (sometimes called anise, available at most supermarkets)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup finely diced scrubbed zucchini
1 cup finely diced mushroom caps
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
a pinch of dried tarragon, crumbled
a pinch of freshly grated lemon zest
a 5-pound roasting chicken, giblets reserved for another use

Steps:

In a kettle of boiling water cook the whole oats for 30 minutes and drain them. While the oats are cooking, in a skillet cook the shallots and the fennel in 2 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, add the zucchini and the mushrooms, and sauté the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring, until the zucchini and mushrooms are softened. Stir in the cooked oats, the cream, the chives, the parsley, the tarragon, the zest, and salt and pepper to taste and remove the skillet from the heat.
Rinse the chicken and pat it dry completely. Pack the cavity with some of the stuffing and transfer the remaining stuffing to a small baking dish. Truss the chicken, rub it all over with 4 tablespoons of the remaining butter, and season it with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken, breast side down, on a rack set in a shallow roasting pan and roast it in the lower third of a preheated 450°F. oven for 50 minutes. Turn the chicken breast side up, baste it with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, melted, and the pan juices, and roast it for 20 minutes more, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the fleshy part of a thigh registers 180°F. During the last 30 minutes of roasting, cook the remaining stuffing, covered with foil, in the 450°F. oven. Let the chicken stand for 10 minutes before carving. Serve the chicken with the stuffing.