Name: Bacon, apricot and sage stuffing balls with roast chicken
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Stuffing balls; 200 gram butter, melted; 4 rashers streaky bacon, diced; 1 onion, finely diced; 1 cup dried apricots, finely chopped; 2 tablespoon water (if needed); 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, finely diced; 220 gram gluten-free panko breadcrumbs; 1/2 cup milk; 1 egg, whisked; 1/4 cup finely chopped sage leaves; 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley; 1 teaspoon salt; Roast chicken; size 16 free-range chicken; olive oil; 1 lemon, halved, for squeezing

Bacon, apricot and sage stuffing balls with roast chicken

Once you’ve tried Nadia Lim's stuffing ball recipe, you’ll never go back to traditional stuffing! With bacon, apricot and sage, these balls are the perfect accompaniment to your next roast chook

Serves 4

Prep

40M

Cook

Total

1H 40M

Ingredients

Stuffing balls

200 gram butter, melted

4 rashers streaky bacon, diced

1 onion, finely diced

1 cup dried apricots, finely chopped

2 tablespoon water (if needed)

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, finely diced

220 gram gluten-free panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, whisked

1/4 cup finely chopped sage leaves

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1 teaspoon salt

Roast chicken

size 16 free-range chicken

olive oil

1 lemon, halved, for squeezing

Method

1.Heat 1 Tbsp of the melted butter in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown and starting to crisp. Add onion and apricots and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until soft, adding a little water if needed. Add the apple and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until apple is soft.

2.Place breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add milk, egg, remaining melted butter, sage, parsley, salt and bacon mixture. Mix until well combined then season well with freshly ground black pepper.

3.Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll tablespoons of mixture into tight balls. Set aside in the fridge for about 15 minutes to firm up a little while you get the chicken in the oven.

4.Line a roasting dish with baking paper. Wash and pat chicken dry inside and out with paper towels. Place in lined roasting tray, drizzle with oil, season well with salt and pepper, and squeeze over the lemon juice (stuff lemon shells in the cavity). Roast chicken for 45-50 minutes or until just cooked through (when the juices run clear when you pierce the inner thigh with the tip of a sharp knife).

5.Halfway through cooking time, remove roasting dish from oven and arrange stuffing balls all around chicken. Drizzle with olive oil and return to oven until cooking time is finished and stuffing balls are golden. Turn stuffing balls once during cooking.

6.Let chicken rest for 15 minutes then slice and serve with stuffing balls.