Pot Roasted Stuffed Chicken

Fabulous, tried and tested (many times!!) recipe from a beautiful recipe book called; Painters & Food, Renaissance Recipes by Gillian Riley. She suggests that a fresh, young wine is best with this dish, as the sweet-sour spiciness might be rather 'antagonistic' to a fine old wine.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1  free-range chicken or 1  capon
• 4  ounces  fatty pancetta
• 4  ounces prunes
• 4  ounces  dried fruit
• 1  inch cinnamon stick, ground with
• 1⁄2 whole nutmeg, and
• 1⁄2 inch  dried gingerroot
•  garlic, if you like
• 1⁄4 teaspoon saffron, soaked in hot water (this can be left out)
• 2  glasses  good dry white wine
• 1  glass  verjuice or 1  glass  bitter orange
•  orange peel

• For the stuffing

• 1  cup  fresh breadcrumb
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped walnuts or 1⁄2 cup  almonds
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped fresh herb (parsley,marjoram,rosemary)
• 1  egg
•  lemon juice
•  grated lemon peel
• 1⁄2 cup  grated parmesan cheese or 1⁄2 cup mild cheddar cheese
•  salt
•  pepper
•  garlic, if you like

Directions

1. Moisten the breadcrumbs in a little chicken stock or water and mix with the stuffing ingredients. Taste for seasoning. Stuff into the cavity of the bird.
2. Put the chicken, breast side down, in a heavy casserole and pack the prunes and dried fruit around it with the pancetta and the spices and garlic.
3. Pour the wine and verjuice(or bitter orange juice)into the casserole, and a little water to come half way up the chicken.
4. Add a few scrapings of the orange peel.
5. Cover with a tight-fitting lid;if neccesary seal it with a flour and water paste or cover with foil or grease-proof paper.
6. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours, or until the bird is cooked.
7. Take the bird out and carve it.Put the pieces in a serving dish with spoonfuls of the stuffing and arrange the prunes and bits of fruit and bacon around it.
8. Pour some of the cooking liquid over the chicken and serve hot.