Irish Chicken Recipes - Irish Roasted Chicken

Irish Roasted Chicken

Serves 6

1 (4 pound) whole chicken
4 ounces oatmeal
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chicken stock
Salt and white pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces Irish bacon
3 medium onions, sliced
4 medium carrots, sliced
2 pounds red potatoes with skins on
Up to 1/2 cup seasoned flour

If there are giblets with the bird, remove them. Rinse all but the
liver (reserving that for another use), and cover giblets with water.
Add salt and pepper, bring to the boil, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Skim off the fat, and use as your chicken stock in the recipe.
Otherwise, use a low-sodium can or two of chicken broth.
Wipe the bird inside and out, and remove any lumps of fat from the
inside. Sprinkle inside and out with a bit of salt.
Mix together the oatmeal, chopped onion, butter, chicken stock, and
some white pepper. Stuff the bird with this mixture and secure well
with small skewers.
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and lightly
fry the Irish bacon. When it's crispy, remove the bacon to paper
towels to drain; then chop and place in a large casserole or Dutch
oven large enough to accommodate the bird (and eventually the potatoes).
Quickly brown the chicken on all sides in the same skillet, and place
it on top of the Irish bacon pieces.
Saute the sliced onions with the carrots until both are just a bit
soft. Add the vegetables to the casserole or Dutch oven.
Strain the giblet stock and add liquid if needed to make about 1 cup.
Heat the stock through and pour over the chicken (alternatively, use
canned broth or stock).
Cover and bake the chicken in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about
1 hour.

Meanwhile, cut the red-skinned potatoes into thick slices and either
blanch them in boiling water or steam them for about 5 minutes. Toss
them in seasoned flour and add them to the casserole or Dutch oven.
You may need to add a little more stock if too much moisture is lost
during the first hour of baking.

Put a few dabs of butter over the potatoes, then cover the pot and
continue to bake for another 30 minutes, removing the cover during the
last few minutes of baking to brown the potatoes.

To serve, place the whole chicken on a platter, surrounded by the
potatoes. Remove any skewers that were used to truss the bird while
baking. Drizzle the Irish bacon bits over the top.

Carve and serve a portion of potatoes and stuffing with each piece of
chicken.