Greek cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Stuffed Roast Chicken

Whole chicken stuffed with rice, pine nuts, and raisins and roasted in the oven until golden and crisp.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 chicken (about 1.4 kg)
• 150 g round-grain rice
• 50 g pine nuts
• 60 g raisins
• 1 onion
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 lemon
• 60 g butter
• 300 ml chicken stock
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Soak the raisins in warm water for 15 min.; rinse the rice in cold water, finely dice the onion, and toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for 2 min. until golden.
2. Heat the olive oil, sauté the onion for 5 min. until soft, add the rice and sauté for 2 min., pour in 150 ml chicken stock, and cook covered for 8 min. until the liquid is absorbed.
3. Mix the pine nuts, drained raisins, cinnamon, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper into the half-cooked rice and let the filling cool completely.
4. Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper, loosely stuff with the rice — no more than three-quarters full, as the rice will still swell — and sew or tie the opening shut with kitchen twine.
5. Place the chicken in a roasting dish, brush with the melted butter, pour in the remaining stock, and roast at 180°C top/bottom heat for 90 min., basting with pan juices every 20 min.
6. For the last 15 min., raise the heat to 210°C until the skin is deep brown and crisp, then let rest for 10 min., drizzle with lemon juice, and serve carved with the stuffing.