Stuffed Chicken With Roasted Vegetables

Stuffed Chicken With Roasted Vegetables
3.9 (7 ratings)
"Roast chicken is a family favourite and, of course, it makes the perfect Sunday lunch. But try adding some lemon or garlic to the basting butter 
for the most wonderful aromas and flavours." -Kevin DundonThis recipe comes courtesy of The Raglan Road Cookbook: Inside America's Favorite Irish Pub by Kevin Dundon and Neil Cubley. Click here to purchase your own copy.
Servings
6
chicken
Ingredients
  • 1 large chicken
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 medium-sized onion, diced
  • grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoon freshly chopped sage/parsley/thyme/rosemary
  • 4 cup soft 
white breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 lemon
  • salt and pepper
  • 8 small carrots, 
halved lengthways
  • 4 small parsnips, halved
  • 12 large shallots, 
peeled and trimmed
  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut
into wedges
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • salt and black pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan, add in the diced onion and cook over a very low heat for 5-6 minutes until completely softened. Mix in the lemon zest, the freshly chopped herbs and the soft white breadcrumbs. Season this mixture lightly. Allow to cool.
  3. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the cold stuffing, then add half a lemon, both to keep the stuffing in place and for additional flavour. Place the chicken onto a roasting tray. Loosen the skin of the chicken and taking a little additional butter gently massage the butter into the breasts under the skin of the chicken. Sprinkle a little bit of salt and cracked black pepper over the skin.
  4. Transfer the chicken to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes. At this stage, reduce the temperature of the oven to 160˚C/325˚F/Gas Mark 3 and cook for a further hour or until the juices run clear out of the chicken. The flesh, particularly on the legs and thighs, should feel tender indicating that the bird is cooked.
  5. Parboil all of the vegetables, separately, and then place on a roasting tray with some fresh thyme and roast for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are completely tender and caramelized. I normally use a little butter or duck fat to roast them off as this gives them a nice shine and extra flavour. Season with salt and pepper.