Roast chicken, golden brown and made with a delicious stuffing, makes a great centrepiece for your New Year’s Eve celebration meal  or for New Year’s day. By preparing all the ingredients ahead,  it is so easy to assemble and bake. Serve with your favourite vegetables and other accompaniments. So prepare your table and chill the champagne  and have a wonderful celebration!

Roast Chicken with Forcemeat Stuffing

Ingredients:

Stuffing:

• 500 g lean beef mince
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 rashers of bacon, trimmed and finely chopped
• 1 Tblsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
• 1 small bunch of parsley, washed and finely chopped
• 2 cups of dried breadcumbs
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with a fork
• 1/2 cup milk
• Chicken seasoning (or any of your favourite chicken spices)
• 2 Tblsp olive oil
• 1 knob of butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chicken:

• 1x2kg Chicken
• 50 g butter at room temperature
• 5 stems of fresh rosemary
• Chicken seasoning
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 rashers of bacon, trimmed
• 1 cup of chicken stock

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 225º C Fan Forced and use a large baking dish with a trivet insert

Stuffing:

1. In a large deep frypan heat olive oil and knob of butter over a medium low heat
2. Add chopped onion and fry for 12 minutes until translucent
3. Add bacon and fry for 5 minutes
4. Increase heat to high and add the mince beef, stirring till separated well and browned fully
5. Add salt, pepper, chicken seasoning, chopped rosemary, chopped sage
6. Add the beaten egg and stir through well
7. Stir in enough milk to fully moisten and bind the stuffing
8. Set aside and prepare the chicken for stuffing

Chicken:

1. Remove the chicken from its wrapping, remove any giblets and pat it dry with kitchen paper towelling inside and out
2. Lightly salt and pepper the cavity and spoon in the prepared stuffing, pressing down gently until the cavity is filled
3. Close the cavity using small metal skewers or tooth picks and kitchen twine to bind the tooth picks together
4. Separate the skin over the breast from the meat and push in some butter and a little of the remaining stuffing in the neck end
5. Use toothpicks or small metal skewers to seal off the skin
6. Rub the chicken all over with butter
7. Season the outside of the chicken with salt, pepper and chicken seasoning
8. Place a knob of butter and a long branch of rosemary along the chicken legs and wings.
9. Place some rosemary over the breast
10. Cover the whole chicken with the bacon rashers
11. Pour the stock into the baking dish and add enough to cover the base with 2 cm of liquid
12. Place the prepared chicken on the rack
13. Place any remaining stuffing into a shallow dish lined with foil and cover fully.
14. Make a tent of foil by joining together two long strips of foil
15. Place over the baking dish lifting it above the chicken to allow some air flow
16. Place the baking dish in the oven on a lower rack so that it will fit comfortably
17. Place the remaining covered stuffing dish on the lowest rack in the oven below the chicken
18. Bake at 225º C for 12 minutes, then lower to 170º C and cook for 20 minutes per every 500 g
19. A stuffed 2 kg Chicken should  take about 2 1/4 hours
20. Use a meat thermometer to test if fully cooked by inserting it into the inner thigh neat the breast but not touching the bone. The juices should run clears
21. Remove the foil tent and allow the chicken skin to crisp and brown well, about 5-10 minutes
22. When browned, remove the chicken and tray of extra stuffing and rest the stuffed chicken for 15 minutes before carving and serving
23. The pan drippings can be used to make a gravy to serve with your roast chicken just skim off any fat and reduce till thickened