Il Cucinologo
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Oven-Roasted Stuffed Chicken

17/11/2023

Oven-roasted stuffed chicken is a classic hearty and flavorful main course. Here is a recipe to prepare an Italian-style oven-roasted stuffed chicken:

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken of about 1.5-2 kg, gutted and ready to be stuffed
  • 200 g ground meat (pork or a mix of meats)
  • 100 g stale bread
  • Milk as needed (to soften the bread)
  • 1 egg
  • 50 g grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Chopped parsley as needed
  • Salt and pepper as needed
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Aromatics: rosemary, bay leaf, sage (as desired)

Preparation

  1. Start by preheating the oven to 190 °C.
  2. Soak the stale bread in milk until it becomes soft, then squeeze it well.
  3. In a bowl, combine the ground meat with the squeezed bread, the egg, the Parmesan, the finely chopped garlic, the parsley, salt, and pepper. This will be the stuffing for the chicken.
  4. Stuff the inside of the chicken with the meat mixture, being careful not to overfill it to prevent the stuffing from leaking during cooking. If necessary, you can sew the opening or close it with toothpicks.
  5. Massage the outer skin of the chicken with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and, if desired, chopped aromatic herbs.
  6. Tie the chicken legs and place it in a baking dish. If you like, you can add vegetables (such as potatoes, carrots, and onions) cut into pieces and a bit of water or white wine to the dish to keep the bottom moist.
  7. Bake the chicken and let it cook for about 1 hour and a half or until the skin is golden and the juices that come out of the meat are clear and not pink.
  8. During cooking, baste the chicken occasionally with its cooking juices to keep it moist and flavorful.

Once cooked, let the chicken rest for a few minutes before carving it, so that the internal juices distribute evenly.

Trivia

The tradition of stuffed chicken has its roots in Italian Sunday dinners and festive occasions. Every family has its own version, with small variations on the filling that can include, for example, sausage, chestnuts, dried fruit, or other ingredients as desired.