Chicken With Orange-Apricot Stuffing

This recipe was originally from a magazine many years ago. The stuffing is great and it keeps the chicken moist. The chicken meat takes on the subtle flavours. Its gluten free also

• Ready In: 12 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 4  french shallots, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup  short-grain white rice
• 2  teaspoons  orange rind, finely grated
• 1 3⁄4 cups  fresh orange juice
• 3⁄4 cup  dried apricot, chopped
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 5⁄8 kg chicken (No. 16)
• 2  teaspoons soft brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Heat olive oil in a medium heavy-based frying pan over a low to medium heat and gently cook shallots for 3-4 minutes or until softened.
3. Add the rice and stir until rice grains are coated well with the oil. Add the orange rind, 1 1/4 cups of the orange juice, apricots and cardamom. Bring to the boil.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat, transfer mixture to a bowl and cool completely.
5. Wipe chicken inside and out with paper towel. Spoon the cooled rice mixture into the chicken cavity and seal opening with skewers or toothpicks. Place chicken in a roasting pan.
6. Combine remaining orange juice and brown sugar in a jug and pour over chicken.
7. Roast for 1 1/2 hours, basting occasionally with pan juices. Check the chicken has cooked through -the juices run clear when the chicken thigh is pierced with a skewer at the thickest part.
8. Serve chicken with the rice stuffing.