By Cody is on day six hundred and fifty-five. Fifteen days remaining. The homecoming is November twelfth. Mama and I have been planning the homecoming dinner for two months in increments. The practice runs have started. This Sunday: roast chicken with Creole stuffing, a New Orleans-style holiday roast that A Family Feast had run in October. The recipe is rich, slightly spicy, and the kind of dinner that says welcome home at a table.
The math: a 5-pound roasting chicken $7.99, the stuffing (cornbread, andouille sausage, the Cajun trinity of onion-celery-bell-pepper, sage, parsley, eggs, broth) $5.40, butter for the bird, salt, pepper, paprika. Total: about $13.40 for two dinners (Sunday and Monday).
The technique is the stuff-and-roast. Make the cornbread in a cast iron the day before. Cube and dry overnight. Saute the andouille and trinity. Toss with cornbread cubes, sage, parsley, eggs, broth. Stuff into the cavity of the rinsed-and-patted-dry chicken. Truss the legs. Rub with butter and paprika and salt. Roast at 425 for fifteen minutes, then 350 for ninety minutes, basting every thirty.
The bird came out the kind of golden-brown that magazines photograph. The stuffing inside was moist, slightly spicy, deeply seasoned. Mama said, after the first bite, baby, this is the homecoming dinner. I said, I think it is. Two weeks until I make it for real.
The recipe is below. The trick is the dried cornbread cubes — bake the cornbread the day before and let cube. Wet cornbread makes wet stuffing.
Roast Chicken with Creole Stuffing
Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 whole roasting chicken (5–6 lbs), giblets removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- For the Creole Stuffing:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 3/4 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- 4 cups cubed day-old French bread (about 1/2-inch cubes)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels — this is key to getting crispy skin. Set aside.
- Make the Creole stuffing. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6–8 minutes. Add the garlic, Creole seasoning, oregano, and cayenne and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Combine the stuffing. Remove the skillet from heat. Fold in the bread cubes, chicken broth, and parsley until the bread is evenly moistened. Let cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the beaten egg.
- Season the chicken. Rub the outside of the chicken all over with olive oil. Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and thyme in a small bowl and rub the mixture evenly over the skin and inside the cavity.
- Stuff and truss. Loosely fill the cavity of the chicken with the Creole stuffing — do not pack it tight. Tuck the wing tips back and tie the legs together with kitchen twine if desired. Place the chicken breast-side up in a roasting pan or oven-safe skillet.
- Roast. Roast uncovered for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (away from bone) reads 165°F and the stuffing reaches 165°F as well. If the skin browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
- Rest and serve. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. Spoon the stuffing out and serve alongside the carved chicken with pan juices drizzled over the top.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 520 | Protein: 42g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 680mg