Ingredients
Brine
1 cup kosher salt
½ cup honey
1 Tbsp black peppercorns
½ Tbsp whole cloves
½ Tbsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp Old Bay
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Cups hot water
1 gallon ice water
Stuffing
1 ½ Tbsp butter
2 cups portabella mushrooms
Salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp chopped parsley (reserved from bunch for aromatics)
Chicken
1 roasting chicken
1 Tbsp softened butter
Salt and pepper
4 strips bacon
Aromatics
½ lemon
1 bunch parsley, 1 tbsp chopped and reserved
½ leek, sliced
Vegetables
2 large russet potatoes, chopped into large hunks
4 oz baby carrots
½ leek, sliced
Salt and pepper
Brine the Chicken
In a large mixing bowl add salt, honey, peppercorns, cloves, cumin seeds, old bay, pepper flakes. Whisk with hot water to dissolve salt. Add ice water. Using a vessel large enough, I have a huge mixing bowl that worked perfectly, place the whole chicken into the brine. Place in the refrigerator, or in a very cool place, for at least 3-4 hours. Remove from brine and rinse with cool water, pat dry inside and out.
Preheat oven to 425
Make Mushroom Stuffing
In a saute pan melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook 4-5 minutes, or until water from mushrooms is almost cooked out. Turn off heat and toss in garlic and parsley. Let cool then chop fine in a food processor. For small jobs like this there’s no point in pulling out the big daddy, so I just use the tiny Cuisinart my wife got years ago.
Prepare and Roast
Using a sharp knife scrape at the meat on the inside of the neck to expose the wishbone. Remove that bone. Carefully take your fingers and remove the skin from the breast and leg meat. Take care not to rip the skin as I almost did as I watched my finger come dangerously close to turning the skin into swiss cheese. Using a spatula carefully push mushroom stuffing under the skin.
Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the ½ leek, lemon, and parsley. Truss the chicken, then rub softened butter all over the skin. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Drape slices of bacon over the breast. Place chicken in a roasting pan and surround with vegetables.
Roast in oven for 25 minutes, then remove bacon slices. Roast another 25-30 minutes to brown skin, and until a probe thermometer reaches 160. Remove from oven and let chicken rest 10 minutes.
