Roast chicken with sage and bacon-wrapped stuffing
Who doesn't love roast chicken for dinner! Take the traditional roast up a notch with these irresistible bacon-wrapped balls of sage stuffing.
Ingredients
- 1 Waitoa free-range fresh whole chicken 1.5kg trussed
- 1 tbsp butter softened
- 2 Superb Herb sage leaves large leaves
- juice of ½ lemon
- 100 ml dry white wine
- salt
- black pepper
For the stuffing and bacon wrapped stuffing balls
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- ½ lemon finely grated zest
- 8 Superb Herb sage leaves finely chopped
- 150 g white breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 pack Farmland thin sliced streaky bacon halved (125g)
- 12 small sage leaves
For the gravy
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 300 ml chicken stock
To serve
- 1 bag ready-made salad with dressing
- 4 rashers Farmland thin sliced streaky bacon chopped
- olive oil
Instructions
- The night before you roast your chicken, season it inside and out with salt. Loosely wrap it in paper towels, then put it in a roasting tin and refrigerate. Remove from the fridge an hour before you want to roast and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C.
- To make the stuffing balls: melt the butter in a frying pan over low heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent. Transfer the onion in a bowl to cool, then mix in the lemon zest, sage, and breadcrumbs. Season, add the egg and combine well. If the mixture is too dry, add a little milk. Make 12 bite-size balls and wrap each ball with a sage leaf, a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place the stuffing balls on a small baking dish and set aside.
- Fill the cavity of the chicken with the remaining stuffing, making sure you leave a little air between the stuffing and the top of the bird to allow the air to circulate.
- Rub the butter over the chicken, tuck the sage leaves under the skin on the breasts, then squeeze the lemon juice over it and put it in a roasting tin. Pour 100 ml of water around the chicken in the tin and the wine over the chicken.
- Roast 220°C for 12 minutes, then turn the heat down to 180°C and roast for a further 60–80 minutes, or until cooked through. 40 minutes into the cook, place the stuffing balls in the oven to roast.
- While the stuffing is cooking, pan fry the bacon with a little olive oil over medium high heat until crispy and golden. Place on paper towel. Assemble the salad kit and top with the crispy bacon bits. Pour over the creamy dressing.
- Transfer the bird to a serving plate, cover with foil and set aside to rest.
- For the gravy: Sprinkle the flour over the roasting tin. Stir over a low heat with a whisk to make a roux with the scrapings in the bottom of the tin, then add the wine. Let it bubble up briefly before gradually adding the stock. Simmer until you have a thin gravy.
Notes
Serve warm and pair with white wine.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Choose your favourite bacon for the stuffing balls or ditch the stuffing and opt for a lighter roast chicken recipe.
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