Italian Meat - Poultry and Game Recipes - Chicken with Fig Stuffing (Pollo con Ripieno di Fichi) Recipe

Ingredients

Stuffing:

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 1 carrot, finely diced

• 10 ml/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

• Grated rind and juice of 1 lime

• 50 g/2 oz/1/4 cup risotto rice

• 175 g/6 oz fresh figs, chopped

• 600 ml/2 1/2 cups chicken stock

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 kg/4 1/2lb oven-ready chicken

• 45 ml/3 tbsp water

• Small bunch of fresh herbs

• Fresh figs, to garnish

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Method:

1. Put the chopped onion, garlic, carrot, thyme, lime, rice and chopped figs into a large saucepan and pour in the stock.

2. Season with the pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cover with a tight fitting lid. Simmer for 30 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the stock.

3. Remove from the heat. Spoon the rice mixture into the neck end of the bird. Put any remaining stuffing in a separate greased dish.

4. Tie the legs of the chicken together with clean string and place on a rack in a roasting tin (pan). Put the water and bunch of herbs into the tin.

5. Roast the chicken in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 1 hour. Baste the chicken and continue cooking for a further 40 minutes.

6. Lift the cooked chicken on to a warmed serving plate. Cover it loosely with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

7. Garnish the chicken with wedges of fresh figs and carve at the table.