Recipe: Stuffed chicken with roasted vegetables

This New Year’s eve, indulge your family and friends with roasted chicken and vegetables

Method

•  Clean and wash the chicken with water and vinegar and pat it dry to ensure that there is no moisture left. Use a sharp knife and cut slits into the breast and thighs.

•  Mix all the ingredients for the butter paste, except the sliced garlic cloves and rub it all over the chicken. Put the garlic cloves in the slits made in the chicken. Leave it to marinate for about 30 minutes to an hour.

•  Preheat the oven to 220^o C and place a rack in the centre.

•  Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Cut the potatoes in quarters and place them on the bottom of your square baking tray. Place onions and carrots on top of the potatoes and then the garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

•  Mix the rice and peas together and stuff them inside the stomach cavity of the chicken.

•  Cross the legs of the chicken and tie them up with a strong kitchen thread or cord. Place the chicken over the vegetables in the baking tray.

•  Cover the dish with foil and roast it at 200^o C for about an hour and 15 minutes.

•  When the time has passed, take off the foil and let it cook for a further 30-45 minutes until the chicken turns golden brown from both sides.

•  Once roasted, let it cool for at least 10-15 minutes before carving.

•  Mix the vegetables together and serve along with the chicken.

Simple tips for making a delicious roast

1) The butter needs to be bought to room temperature before putting the chicken in the oven.

2) The roasting time depends on the size of the chicken. Keep checking the chicken in the oven after the recommended hour.

3) To check if the chicken is done, cut into the thickest part of the chicken i.e. the thigh. If juices run clear and the chicken is no longer pink, it is cooked through.

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, December 28^th, 2014.