Lucinda's Southern Stuffed Chicken

A Gluten Free Specialty Recipe
that everybody likes

The photo above is really a duck, but this recipe is for chicken. It is so good and so cool to serve to your friends, because you just slice it and serve. In fact if you don't tell them that it is boneless and just start slicing - they will be very surprised. The taste is great, but the first time don't over do the peppers and chili unless you really like it hot. Left-overs the next day are really a surprise, because the jalapeno's seem to get hotter!

I usually make two chickens for guests - one hot and one not. I have to confess that deboning a whole chicken is a gruesome challenge, so my husband does that for me. (he's so sweet)

A deboned stuff chicken is very economical to serve because with the bones taken out, stuffed poultry can be served in slices, thus it feeds twice as many people and wastes no meat.

Ingredients:

1 whole boneless chicken (see how to debone poultry)

1 loaf Corn Bread

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 Small red onion (or your favorite onion)

3 sticks celery

1 teaspoon basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon garlic

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (how hot you want it?)

1 egg

1/3 to 1/2 cup corn

1/4 cup jalapeno peppers, chopped (use less if you don't want it too hot, I use more)

Stuffing: Bake corn bread ahead of time and let cool. I use a gluten free corn bread mix and let it slightly over cook.

In a sauce pan melt butter over low heat. Chop onions and celery in small pieces, place in big mixing bowl. Add egg, salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, chili powder, and corn. Add melted butter and mix together. Chop up jalapeno peppers and add to mixture and stir well.

Chop up cornbread into little cubes (or crumble) add to mixture.

Chicken: Buy a plump chicken and completely debone according to directions (click here). Stuff chicken with mixture until it has regained its normal shape and is about two thirds of its former size. During cooking the bird will shrink and the stuffing will expand. Tie the openings of the chicken closed and place in a baking dish. Rub a little melted butter on the chicken and then place foil on top and form around top of dish rather tightly.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 2 hours depending on the size of the bird and thickness of the meat. Use a meat thermometer through the thickest meat flesh to make sure it is done. Under-cooked chicken is not good! Baste occasionally with drippings. Take foil off the last 15 or 20 minutes to give it a nice browned skin.

Gravy: The drippings from this bird will be very flavorful and make great gravy. Taste your gravy before you add any seasoning, as it may not need any. Take drippings from the pan and place in a sauce pan. At a high heat while stirring add a mixture of 1/2 tablespoon corn starch and 1/4 cup water to drippings. It should start to thicken. Lower heat to very low simmer.

Serve: Take the chicken on a plater to the table and slice for your guests. You can dress it up by placing red potatoes, parsley sprigs, and big steamed mushrooms around the chicken on the plater.

• You found this recipe on 1st Traveler's Choice Internet Cookbook. (www.virtualcities.com)