CHORIZO STUFFED ROAST CHICKEN
This is a very simple twist guaranteed to impress. The chorizo, bean, and tomato stuffing helps the bird to cook evenly and perfumes the meat as it cooks. Serve it alongside the chicken with some steamed greens or a mixed green salad.
Servings
6
Servings
6
Ingredients
FOR THE CHORIZO STUFFING
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. First make the stuffing. Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan, add the chorizo, and cook for about 3 minutes, until turning golden. Add the onion and cook for a minute or two until softened, then add the garlic. Cook for an additional couple of minutes before adding the leaves from 3 thyme sprigs. Stir in the cannellini beans, seasoning well. Cook for a minute or two to warm through. Add the tomatoes and a couple of tablespoons of the oil they are stored in. Stir to combine, then remove from the heat and cool.
  3. Now prepare the chicken. Season the cavity with salt and pepper, then fill with the chorizo stuffing and place a whole lemon at the cavity opening, tucking any excess skin over it. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil, sprinkle over the paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Rub into the chicken skin.
  4. Pour the wine and about ¾ cup of water into a roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and the remaining sprigs of thyme from the chorizo, then cover with foil and roast for 1 hour in the preheated oven.
  5. After 1 hour, remove the foil from the chicken, baste with the roasting juices, and turn the oven up to 400°F. Roast for another 25–30 minutes until the skin is golden brown and the juices from the thigh run clear. Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes before serving.
  6. Remove the lemon from the chicken cavity, and squeeze the juice into the pan juices. Whisk together to create a light gravy—if you prefer a thicker gravy, reduce over a high heat.
HOW TO KEEP CHICKEN MOIST WHILE ROASTING
  1. Roasting chicken under a tent of foil with stock and water is a lovely way to keep it moist during the first part of cooking. Once it has steamed for an hour, you simply remove the foil for the final 30 minutes to brown the breasts. The resulting chicken will be much plumper and fuller than if you had roasted it all the way.