Stuffed zucchini and salt-roasted chicken

Name: Stuffed zucchini and salt-roasted chicken
Ingredients: 1/2 zucchini (300 g); 100 g ground pork; 100 g button mushrooms; 1 tablespoon tomato paste (15 g); 1/4 teaspoon fine salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic; 1/2 chicken (700 g); 500 g coarse salt

Meat - Stuffed zucchini and salt-roasted chicken by Liliana L. - Recipia

Stuffed zucchini and salt-roasted chicken go into the oven together, and the chicken browns right on a bed of coarse salt. The zucchini holds a meat and mushroom filling, while the chicken comes out with browned skin and tender meat. I put the zucchini on my plate first, then add the chicken while it’s still hot. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 45 minutes. Total: 65 minutes. Servings: 3. About 420 kcal and 38 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

1/2 zucchini (300 g)
100 g ground pork
100 g button mushrooms
1 tablespoon tomato paste (15 g)
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 chicken (700 g)
500 g coarse salt

Preparation

1. Wash the zucchini half and scoop it out as much as you can without piercing the skin. 2. Mix the ground meat well with the tomato paste, chopped mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Fill the zucchini. 3. In an ovenproof dish, spread the 500 g of coarse salt in a layer and place the half chicken on top, patted thoroughly dry with paper towels. Put the dish beside the zucchini in the oven preheated to 200°C. 4. Roast the chicken for 40-45 minutes, turning it once along the way, until browned and the juices run clear. Bake the zucchini for 35-40 minutes, until it’s tender when pierced with a fork.

Notes

Leftovers keep in a covered dish in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat the chicken and zucchini separately so the filling doesn’t get too soft. You can replace the pork with 100 g of ground turkey. Brown button mushrooms work here too, finely chopped. Serve them with a tangy green salad, which keeps the plate fresh alongside the browned chicken. A zucchini of medium thickness is easier to scoop out and holds its shape; a very large one may need a few extra minutes. If you wash the mushrooms, dry them well, since any water left on them can thin the filling. The weight of the half chicken affects the cooking time: a larger one may need longer than 40-45 minutes, and the color of the skin alone doesn’t tell you everything. Discard the layer of coarse salt after roasting; the meat takes on as much salt as it needs while it sits on top.