ROASTED STUFFED CHICKEN AND RICE

Lebanese cuisine is known for its delicious dishes and this one is worthy!! This rice stuffed roasted chicken is an elegant, tender, juicy for festive lunch or dinner, and cooked only for special occasions

BROWNING THE NUTS

30 g Butter

2 tbsp. Vegetable Oil

1/4 cup Pine Nuts

1/2 cup Silvered Almonds, boil to peel the skin and slice in half

1/2 cup Cashews

 1/2 cup Pistachios

Heat the butter with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and brown each kind of the nuts separately. Combine and set aside until you do the rest of the cooking.

PREPARE THE CHICKEN

1 Whole Chicken, not less than 1 & 1/2 kg

2 Cinnamon Sticks

3 to 4 Bay Leaves

½ tsp. ground Nutmeg

1 small Onion

Remove any giblets or other surprises from the chicken cavities. Rinse the chicken thoroughly, inside and out, under cold, running water, rinse and rub with lemon and salt, or with white vinegar. 

In a deep cooking pot, bring to a boil adding water to cover the chicken, remove the scum when it rises. Add cinnamon stick, one small onion, nutmeg, and bay leaves. Cook the chicken only half cook.

Drain, and set aside until it drys.

COOKING THE MEAT AND RICE

1/2 kg minced Meat

2/3 cup Vegetable Oil

1 tbsp. Butter

2 tsp. ground Cinnamon

1 tsp. 7 Spices

1 tsp. Salt

2 cups long-grain Rice

3 cups Chicken Stock

Meanwhile, brown the minced meat with vegetable oil and butter. When lightly browned add 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. 7 spices and 2 tsp. cinnamon. Add the washed and drained rice to the minced meat, mix and stir well for 2 more minutes to get assorted with the meat and the flavor of the spices. Measure 3 cups of the chicken stock you made earlier, and pour it into the pot of rice. Cook on medium-high heat until the rice comes to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and cover with the lid. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the stock is absorbed.

THINGS YOU’LL NEED FOR ROASTING THE CHICKEN

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

The Whole chicken prepared earlier, half-cooked

2 tablespoons softened Butter

½ tsp. Salt

½ tsp. coarsely ground Black Pepper

1 tbsp. Flour

1 large oven-roasting Bag

Roasting Pan

Now the chicken is ready, stuff the opening with some of the cooked meat and rice, cross its thighs to prevent rice dropping from the inside of the chicken, or (Secure the opening part of the skin together with a toothpick)

Rub the chicken with 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. coarsely ground pepper. Coat it well with 2 tablespoons of softened butter.

Open the oven-roasting bag and add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour. Close the bag and shake it to coat the inside of the bag with the flour. (The flour will blend with the juices to create gravy and will also prevent the bag from bursting during the cooking process).

Place the chicken in the oven bag and close securely with the ties that came with the bag. Cut six 1/2-inch slits in the top of the bag so that steam can escape. (The moisture get trapped inside the bag during the cooking process, ensuring that your chicken comes out flavorful and juicy).

Place the chicken in the roasting pan and cook for around 40 minutes.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Cut the bag from the top rather than the sides so that the juices do not run out, and lift the chicken out of the bag. Place it onto a serving platter and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir the juices in the bag until they are smooth, and pour into a small bowl.

Place the chicken in the middle of a serving platter and put the already cooked meat and rice around the roasted chicken. Sprinkle the rice with the browned nuts on top.

Serve with the gravy on the side.