Ingredients
• 2.3kg whole chicken
• 1 orange, quartered
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 tblsp small fresh rosemary sprigs
• Gravy, to serve
BACON STUFFING
• 2 bacon rashers, rind removed, chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp finely grated orange rind
• 1 tblsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 700g sliced day-old bread, crusts removed
• 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tblsps olive oil
Method
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To make stuffing, heat a large, lightly oiled non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add bacon, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until onion is soft. Transfer to a large bowl. Add rind and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.
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Tear bread into coarse crumbs. Add to bacon mixture with egg and half the oil. Mix well.
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Grease a 50cm-long piece of foil. Place stuffing in the centre. Shape into a 30cm log shape. Fold over foil and twist ends to close. Place on an oven tray.
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Pat chicken dry with absorbent kitchen paper. Place orange inside the cavity. Tie the legs together with unwaxed kitchen string. Place in a roasting pan, rub all over with oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with rosemary.
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Cook in a moderate oven (180°C) for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Place stuffing in oven with chicken and cook for a further 25 minutes. Chicken is cooked when juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. Remove chicken from oven and lightly cover with foil to keep warm.
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Meanwhile, open the foil from around stuffing. Drizzle with remaining oil and cook for a further 15 minutes, or until golden.
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Serve chicken with stuffing and accompany with gravy.
