Nothing beats an easy-to-make and even easier to prepare roast chicken for your Christmas dinner! Especially when roasted with cherry sauce and sage stuffing for an unbeatable festive flavour. It’s juicy on the inside and perfectly golden on the outside. This recipe is also a sure winner on your table at any other time of the year. If there are any leftovers, just add some sauce and you have a sandwich for the next day — with almost no effort!
| 1 | Whole chicken |
| 200g | Rindless streaky bacon rashers (or macon) |
| 2 cups | Breadcrumbs |
| ½ cup | Cherry jam |
| 400g | Canned stoneless black cherries in syrup |
| 1 tbsp | Olive oil* (10ml) |
| Salt & pepper (to taste) | |
| 2 | Celery sticks (finely chopped) |
| 1 | Onion (finely chopped) |
| 2 tsp | Sage (finely chopped) |
| 2 | Coves garlic (finely chopped) |
*Olive oil is preferred. But if you don’t have, you can use normal oil.
Pro tip: For the best post-Christmas lunch — use leftovers to make a delicious chicken panini or sandwich.
| 1 | Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. |
| 2 | Add chopped celery, onion, and garlic. |
| 3 | Cook, stirring for 3 minutes, until soft. |
| 4 | Add bacon (or macon) and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. |
| 5 | Add sage and breadcrumbs. |
| 6 | Season with salt and pepper. |
| 7 | Mix to combine stuffing. |
| 1 | Preheat oven to 180 °C. |
| 2 | Add stuffing to chicken. |
| 3 | Tie drumsticks with kitchen string. |
| 4 | Place chicken in baking dish and baste with jam. |
| 5 | Drizzle with olive oil. |
| 6 | Roast in oven for +/- 1 hour, 30 minutes. |
| 1 | Once chicken is cooked and resting, strain cooking juices in small saucepan over medium-high heat. |
| 2 | Add canned cherries and cherry jam. |
| 3 | Let boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes until reduced slightly. |
| 4 | Serve chicken with cherry sauce. |
