Roast Chicken with Wild Rice, Walnut, and Dried Fruit Stuffing

How to make Roast Chicken with Wild Rice, Walnut, and Dried Fruit Stuffing Recipe

4 To 6 SERVINGS

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Unsalted butter
1 cup Leeks, halved lengthwise, cleaned, thinly sliced
2 cups Onions, 1/2 inch (1.2 cm) dice
3/4 cup Celery, 1/2 inch (1.2 cm) dice
1 cup Wild rice
3 cups Apple cider
2 cups Chicken stock
1/2 cup Applejack brandy
1/2 cup Green apple, peeled, cored, and 1/2 inch (1.2 cm) dice
1/4 cup Dried cherries, diced
1/4 cup Dried apples, diced
1 cup Walnuts, toasted, chopped
4 tablespoons Rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons Thyme, chopped
To taste Salt and pepper
1 Roasting chicken

Method:
Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).

Melt half the butter over medium heat.

Add the leeks, onions, and celery; sauté until tender, about 6 minutes.

Add the wild rice and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add 1 cup (8 ounces, 237 ml) apple cider, the chicken stock, and Applejack. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook 30 minutes or until tender.

Add the fresh apple and dried fruit. Cover and cook 15 minutes more or until rice is tender.

Stir in the nuts and half the rosemary and the thyme. Correct the seasonings and cool stuffing completely.

Combine the remaining butter and rosemary. Set aside.

Season the chicken on all sides. Loosen the skin from the breasts and spread the rosemary butter over the breast meat under the skin. Stuff chickens with rice mixture; do not pack too tightly.

Set the chicken on a rack in a shallow pan. Roast, basting with remaining apple cider, until juices run clear, about 2 hours.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with pan drippings and rice stuffing.

Roast Chicken with Wild Rice, Walnut, and Dried Fruit Stuffing