Roast Chicken With Herb Cheese Chili And Lime Stuffing Recipes

LIME-HERB STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Remove neck and giblets from inside of chicken. Rinse thouroughly, inside and out, then pat dry.
• Stuff chicken with limes, onion and herbs, as much as will fit without packing too tightly.
• Coat skin of chicken with olive oil, brushing or misting over whole surface. This makes the skin nice and golden crisp. Sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper over skin to taste. Rub it in for great flavor.
• Place chicken in a roasting pan or casserole. Use a roasting rack if you have one. Spread any remaining stuffing around the chicken in the pan and fill with one cup water.
• Bake chiken 15- 20 minutes per pound, basting if necessary (it shouldn't be.) Remove from oven and let 'rest' for an additional 15 minutes before carving.
• Optional: This is a busy weeknight favorite for me and I often make it at the last minute. If you are better at planning ahead, you can marinate the chicken for a more intense lime taste. Use lime juice, olive oil, garlic cloves, scallions, grated peel (no white attached) of 1 lime, freshly ground black pepper, salt, dry mustard, ground coriander (or whole seeds, if you can find it in an ethnic market) and marinate for 6 - 12 hours in the fridge.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH HERB CHEESE, CHILI, AND LIME STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Use the point of a knife and your fingers to carefully separate the skin from the meat of the chicken across the breast and over the tops of the legs. Just loosen the skin with the knife, then carefully run your fingers underneath. Try not to tear the skin.
• Grate the lime and beat the rind into the cream cheese along with the chopped pepper.
• Pack the cream cheese stuffing under the skin of the chicken, using a teaspoon, until fairly evenly distributed.
• Push the skin back into place, then smooth out the stuffing into an even layer by gently rubbing your hands over the skin.
• Put the chicken in a roasting pan and squeeze the juice from the lime all over top.
• Roast for 1 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through. If the top of the chicken becomes too browned, cover the chicken with foil towards the end of the cooking time.
• Carve the chicken, spoon the pan juices over top, and serve.