Canadian Day Chicken

Submitted by Sassy in da South

"This recipe came from one of my mother's old canadian cookbooks (not sure which one since she sent me a handwritten copy). She used to serve this for Sunday dinner after Church. I havent made it in years but remember how much we all loved it."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 18
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 (6 lb) roasting chickens
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 3⁄4 cup honey
• 3⁄4 cup fresh cranberries, crushed
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sage, ground
• 2 tablespoons parsley flakes, dried
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 cups fresh cranberries, whole
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 large onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, whole
• 1 cup orange juice

directions

1. Rinse chicken in cold water, and pat dry. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine dry mustard and honey, and stir until well blended. Set aside to allow flavours to blend.
3. Place crushed cranberries in a bowl, and stir in garlic.
4. Gently work the cranberry mixture under the skin of the chicken until there is a thin layer throughout.
5. Place chopped onion in a large bowl, add bread crumbs, sage, parsley and celery.
6. Season with salt and pepper, and mix.
7. Moisten with orange juice concentrate until stuffing is moist but not wet.
8. Lightly salt the bird's cavity, and insert half the stuffing.
9. Place eight whole cranberries on top of stuffing, and continue to fill the chicken so that cranberries are nested in the centre.
10. Close the bird.
11. Brush the cavity opening and the protruding stuffing with melted butter. Brush the skin (but not the stuffing) with the honey-mustard glaze.
12. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
13. Place coarsely chopped onions, whole garlic and remaining whole cranberries in bottom of pan.
14. Pour in orange juice.
15. Cover, and roast according to size and weight of bird.
16. Check liquid level occasionally, and add extra orange juice if needed. Remove cover for last 10 minutes of roasting.
17. Remove bird from roasting pan, and let stand, covered, for 20 minutes before carving.
18. Meanwhile, pour drippings into a tempered-glass bowl or measuring cup, and cool in freezer for 10 minutes.
19. Remove surface fat, and transfer drippings to a saucepan.
20. Bring to a boil over high heat, then pour into a gravy boat or serving dish.