Roast Chicken and Vegetables #glutenfree #roastdinner #stuffing

This all time favourite is absolutely delicious with the stuffing lending its flavours to the tender, succulent roast chicken. This recipe is an absolute must for those special occasions and there is no reason why this stuffing cannot be used for your Christmas turkey! Yummo!

Roast Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 free range Chicken, about 1.5 kg
6 Baby Potatoes
3 Carrots - cut into large pieces
2 Sweet Potatoes - cut into large pieces
1/2 kg Pumpkin - cut into large pieces

Stuffing:

2 Middle Bacon Rashers, sliced
1/2 Onion, diced 
1/2 Carrot, diced
3/4 cup gluten-free Bread Crumb*
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1/3 Spring Onion - sliced
1/4 Lemon, cut  4 pieces
30g Herb Butter**
1/3 cup White Wine

Stuffing cooked in pan

Method:

Preheat oven to 190C
Heat pan with herb butter.
Add bacon, garlic and carrot - sautee for a few minutes. 
Add bread crumbs and lemon, pour in white wine and cook another 2 minutes. 
Add spring onion, salt and pepper. 
Remove from the heat - set aside.

Using paper towel dry the chicken inside and out. 
Rub all body with salt and pepper. Don't forget inside the chicken as well unless you add extra salt in the stuffing.
Place the prepared stuffing in the chicken. 
Secure the opening with long skewers.  
Tie the legs together.
Pour 1 cup hot water into a deep baking dish. 
Place the chicken on the rack, cover with aluminium foil, cook at 190C for half hour.
Remove the baking dish from oven. 
Remove the foil, turn the chicken. 
Place the potato and carrot under the chicken, bake for another 40 minutes without cover.
Turn the chicken one more time.
Place sweet potato and pumpkin into the baking pan under the chicken and bake for about 30 minutes or until the chicken skin is golden brown.
Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest.
Pour the liquid from the pan into a container and save this stock for beautiful home made gravy.
Add salt and pepper to the vegetables, roast at 220C for about 15 minutes.

* For best result,  use 2-3 slices gluten free bread toasted, break the bread into small pieces and dry in the oven like croutons.
** You can find on our blog how to make herb butter. Keep it in the fridge for whenever you need it.. If you not have herb butter,  use some chopped fresh rosemery, oregano, and parsley. Or 1/2 teaspoon dry herb mix.

Tips:

•  Any vegetables can be used in this roast dish. For the best result remember not all vegetables have the same cooking time.

• Rest the chicken at room tempeture for one hour before cooking as it helps to cook the chicken perfectly inside. Different size chickens also require different cooking times. Usually, it take 1.5- 2 hours to cook a large chicken.

• For a lovely golden roast colour for your chicken, brush the skin with honey, olive oil or butter in the last 30 minutes of cooking,before removing from the oven.