Christmas stuffed roast chicken

Name: Christmas stuffed roast chicken
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken weighing 1 kg; 100 g butter; 1 teaspoon granulated garlic; 2 teaspoons salt; 2 teaspoons sweet paprika; 1 teaspoon ground pepper; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 kg potatoes; 2 tablespoons oil; 2 red pointed peppers; 1 head of garlic; 1 lemon

Meat - Christmas stuffed roast chicken by Anda M. - Recipia

Christmas stuffed roast chicken is usually brought to the table whole, with the browned potatoes around it. The red pointed peppers, lemon and garlic go inside, while the butter with paprika and thyme leaves the skin nicely browned after roasting. I carve it at the table and put a few potatoes beside each piece while they’re still hot. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 65 minutes. Rest: 20 minutes. Total time: 105 minutes. Serves: 4. About 760 kcal and 42 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken weighing 1 kg
100 g butter
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 kg potatoes
2 tablespoons oil
2 red pointed peppers
1 head of garlic
1 lemon

Preparation

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Melt the butter in a saucepan and mix it with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of thyme and the granulated garlic. 2. Rub the butter mixture all over the chicken and prick it a few times with a fork. Leave it in the fridge for 20 minutes. 3. Peel the potatoes and cut them into fairly small pieces. Cut the red pointed peppers into strips, the garlic into slices and the lemon into small pieces. 4. Grease the roasting pan with 2 tablespoons of oil and put the potatoes in it. Sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of thyme. 5. Stuff the chicken with the pepper strips, lemon pieces, garlic slices and a few of the potatoes from the pan. Place it on top of the remaining potatoes. 6. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 45 minutes, until nicely browned; the thickest part of the thigh should reach 75°C.

Notes

Choose a chicken weighing about 1 kg, with the skin intact; if it was frozen, let it thaw completely in the fridge. Pat it well with paper towels before adding the butter so the coating sticks evenly to the skin. Floury potatoes soften faster, while waxy ones stay firmer after roasting. If the lemon has a thick skin, cut away some of the white pith before putting it in the cavity, as it can make the dish bitter. Peppers with thin flesh soften completely, so cut the strips a little wider. I serve it with a simple cabbage salad. For Christmas dinner, I time the start according to when we’ll eat and leave the oven to do its work for the last hour. Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in the fridge in a covered container. Butter contains dairy; for a dairy-free version, replace the 100 g of butter with 80 ml of oil.

Frequently asked questions

Can I replace the red pointed peppers?

Yes, use 2 red bell peppers cut into wide strips; their flesh may release a little more water while baking.

What should I do if the potatoes are still firm?

Take the chicken out and put it on a platter, then leave the pan in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. The potatoes will soften faster if you cut them into smaller pieces.

What should I do if the skin browns before the chicken is done?

Loosely place a piece of foil over the breast and continue baking, checking every 10 minutes.