High-temp roast chicken with... stuffing?

[jeniac42]

I apologize if this has been addressed; I spent an hour with the search engine and couldn't find an answer, but I'm really bad at the eG search!

I like to think I can roast chickens, but in fact I always just use the high-temperature method outlined in a Cook's Illustrated magazine a while back. It calls for butterflying the chicken and then roasting it over a pan of potatoes.

Long story short, I missed out on my family's Thanksgiving dinner and need to get a fix, and figured roasting a chicken would be easier and more practical than doing an entire turkey for two people. But I want to make (SHUDDER GASP) the Pepperidge Farm stuffing, as this is an integral part of the dinner for me.

Since I don't own a roasting pan, would it be possible to put the stuffing under the chicken, instead of the potatoes? Or would it dry out instead of being nice and moist? I've used the stuffing under a turkey but the chicken cooks much faster, so I'm not sure it would work.

Otherwise, are there any tried-and-true recipes that DON'T involve a roasting pan (because I don't own one, and I already have the chicken!)?

[Dana]

I don't know why it wouldn't work - I don't know what the exact method you're using is, but as long a your layer of dressing isn't too thin so that it burns, you should be able to do it in a cake pan. How high a temp do you use?

[jeniac42]

The temp is 500F and usually with chickens I put the top of my broiler pan atop my All-Clad saute pan, which I think is the 3qt with straight sides. I'll probably give it a go tonight or tomorrow night, then.

[Dana]

500 degrees is pretty high for dressing. Make sure to watch it so that it doesn't burn. You might look at roasting the chicken till about half done, then taking it out, putting it on top of the dressing, then finishing. That really sound kind of messy, but better than burnt dressing.

[jsolomon]

You could put the dressing in a bain marie while roasting the chicken. That should help the "eek, I'm burning" sensation that the dressing would otherwise feel.

[budrichard]

Your stuffing will burn at roasting temp. If roasting a whole chicken, they are not stuffed either so the chicken will roast faster. The stuffing retards the cooking on the inner surfaces. -Dick

[judiu]

A possible solution might be to cook the stuffing in the microwave (waits for howls of anguish) and then pop it under the broiler while the chicken rests, to create a nice crust.

[jeniac42]

Hmm. I do not have a microwave*, so maybe I could try roasting the butterflied chicken at a lower temperature to accomodate the stuffing? I don't really have the cookware to set up a bain marie for it. I have to make this tonight when I get home from work so I've got about five hours to figure out the plan

* And, really? I'm making PEPPERIDGE FARM stuffing from a BAG, so the microwave suggestion is not so outlandish, right?

[jsolomon]

* And, really?  I'm making PEPPERIDGE FARM stuffing from a BAG, so the microwave suggestion is not so outlandish, right?

←

Scandalous!

Should work fine.

[jeniac42]

Well, I'm finally home, after lugging ten pounds of potatoes back from the grocery store. Right now the plan is to roast the chicken at a lower temperature and I may not put the stuffing in until 1/4 of the way through or so. I will let you all know how it turns out.

Thanks for the advice!

[jeniac42]

Here's the end report on this trial run. I butterflied the chicken and rubbed it down but good with some sage butter. I put it on the top part of the broiler pan and placed that atop my large straight-sided saute pan, which housed the stuffing. I put a little bit of extra liquid in the stuffing to try to compensate. I'd sauteed the onions and celery for the stuffing in the saute pan, and just let the leftover butter grease the pan.

I cooked the chicken at 425F for 1h10min, then turned the oven down to 350 for about another 20 minutes while I got everything else ready to go (the boyfriend helped with the potatoes and the general moving about of pots and pans).

Amazingly, given the fact that I don't have a meat thermometer, the chicken turned out absolutely perfect - crisp skin, juicy meat, and no pink to be had anywhere. I guess there's a small chance it wasn't at a high enough temp but it sure tasted good. Victory is mine!

The stuffing came out pretty well. The outside set and got some nice crispy bits; I don't think I needed the extra liquid, though, as the inside was a bit gooey. I didn't think about the chicken fat that dripped into it the whole time.

Unfortunately I over-rouxed the gravy in the eleventh-hour (2am-hour?) rush, but other than that it was really good. The chicken wings were especially really super-awesome.

This was the first time I did this without brining the chicken first, and I was really pleased with the result.

Also, I served it all with, uh, quenelles of tinned cranberry jelly