Festive Chicken with Apricot and Pine Nut Basmati Rice Stuffing

• Serves: 4
• Difficulty: medium
• Prep time: 30 mins
• Cooking time: 1 hour 30 mins

• 

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Ingredients

1                                              medium free range chicken, giblets removed

60 ml (1/4 cup)                        butter

1                                              onion, finely chopped

2                                              garlic cloves, finely chopped

a medium handful parsley

30 ml(2 tbsp)                           sage, chopped

125 ml (1/2 cup)                      chopped dried apricots

60 g                                         pine nuts, toasted

1 cup                                       cooked Spekko India Gate Basmati Rice

zest and juice of a lemon

salt and freshly milled pepper

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°
2. Melt half the butter in a frying pan over a low heat. Add the onions and garlic, season and fry over a low heat for 5 minutes until soft but not coloured.
3. Tip into a bowl and set aside to cool, before adding the parsley, sage, apricots, pine nuts, and Basmati rice.
4. Season with the lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
5. Prepare the chicken by gently nudging the skin over the breasts away from the flesh. Stuff with half of the stuffing.
6. Pack the rest of the stuffing into the cavity of the chicken.
7. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper and dot with the rest of the butter.
8. Place in a roasting tray and roast for 1 hour 15 minutes or until golden and the juices run clear.