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Roast Chicken With Two Stuffings
(Poulet Roti A La Creole)
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| What You Need: |
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3 tablespoons butter, plus 4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 small whole garlic clove, peeled
1 cup soft fresh crumbs made from homemade-type white bread trimmed of crusts and pulverized in a blender or finely shredded with a fork
4 tablespoons strained fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lime rind
4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon dark rum
1 teaspoon dark-brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground hot red pepper
1½ teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 medium-sized ripe bananas
A 3½ -to 4-pound whole roasting chicken
1 cup chicken stock, fresh or canned
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a heavy 6- to 8-inch skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat. When the foam begins to subside, drop in the garlic and stir for 10 to 15 seconds. Remove and discard the garlic; add the bread crumbs and stir until they are crisp and brown.
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2. Off the heat stir in 3 tablespoons of the lime juice, the lime rind, 1 tablespoon of the rum, the brown sugar, nutmeg, red pepper, 1 teaspoon of the salt and a few grindings of pepper, and taste for seasoning. Set the stuffing aside.
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3. Peel and chop the bananas fine, and drop them into a small bowl. Add the remaining tablespoon of lime juice, 1 teaspoon of the rum, the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and a few grindings of pepper, and toss the ingredients about with a spoon to combine them thoroughly.
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4. Pat the chicken completely dry inside and out with paper towels. Fill the breast cavity with the banana stuffing and close the opening by lacing it with skewers or sewing it with a large needle and heavy white thread.
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5. Fill the smaller neck cavity with the bread-crumb stuffing and skewer or sew the opening shut. Truss the chicken securely and, with a pastry brush, coat it thoroughly with the 4 tablespoons of softened butter.
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6. Place the bird on a rack in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold it comfortably and roast in the middle of the oven for about 1½ hours, basting occasionally with the juices as they accumulate in the pan.
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7. To test for doneness, pierce the thigh of the bird with the point of a small, sharp knife. The juice that trickles out should be pale yellow; if it is tinged with pink, roast the chicken for another 5 to 10 minutes.
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8. Transfer the bird to a large, heated platter, cut off and discard the trussing strings, and let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes for easier carving. Meanwhile, skim the fat from the juices in the pan and pour in the cup of stock.
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9. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring and scraping in any brown particles clinging to the bottom of the pan. Cook the sauce briskly for 2 or 3 minutes, taste for seasoning, and pour it into a small bowl or sauceboat.
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10. Just before serving, warm the remaining 3 tablespoons of rum in a small pan over low heat. Ignite the rum with a match and pour it flaming over the chicken.
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