Roast Chicken Stuffed with Rice

Ah, lazy days and Sundays...we chilled out today, read the papers, had some bacon rolls and made some bread. I halved my dough and made some rolls as well as bread but they didn't turn out that great...good enough though to be eaten with butter and jam whilst warm and I've chopped up the rest to make croutons and breadcrumbs for the patties and soup later this week.

We had our roast chicken tonight, with the rice stuffing, roasted parsnips, carrots and potatoes with steamed broccoli and green beans. Everything was then covered in gravy of course, made with the juices from the roasting pan. I served it all with the home made bread and lashings of sugar free lemonade.

Roast Chicken Stuffed with Rice
1 large free range chicken
Knob of softened butter
For the stuffing:
60g butter
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
200g basmati rice
500ml chicken stock
4 tablespoons chopped parsley

Blend or chop very finely the onion and garlic. Melt the butter in a pan and fry onion and garlic mix until soft and starting to colour. Add the rice and give everything a stir. Add the stock, bring to the boil, clamp on a lid and simmer really gently for 15 minutes. Preheat oven at this point to 220 degrees C /gas mark 7. Once rice is cooked and all water absorbed, mix in parsley and season with pepper (salt if required but I doubt it).

Spoon the rice into the chicken cavity and secure with cocktail sticks. Rub the chicken with the butter, sprinkle with salt and whatever herbs you have to hand...I used dried thyme...and place in oven for approx. 1.5 hours. 30-40 minutes before the chicken is ready, throw in the root veg and potatoes, depending on how well you like them cooked.

When ready (juices run clear) place on plate, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Steam the broccoli and green beans and serve.