Stuffing for Roast Chicken | Anglo Indian Style

What's roast chicken and stuffing got to do with love and marriage? 

Just ask Sinatra. 

Love and marriage, love and marriage,

They go together like a horse and carriage,

This I tell you, brother

You can't have one without the other.

That's right!  Roast chicken and stuffing so go together, just like love and marriage. Call me old fashioned? Whatever.

It's an institute you can't disparage 

Ask the local gentry

And they will say it's elementary

On our table, especially for celebrations and big holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, Anglo Indian style Chicken Roast is always served with a fabulous side of bread stuffing made with golden raisins, chicken gizzards and giblets.  We just can't have one without the other.

Dad was told by mother

You can't have one, you can't have none

You can't have one without the other.

No sir. 

How to Make Stuffing for Chicken

The Bread

My recipe for a homemade Anglo Indian bread stuffing for chicken is really easy. I don't use store bought dried bread bread/ stuffing mixture or box seasonings. Instead, I make my stuffing from scratch using regular, white loaf bread, cubed and left uncovered for a couple of hours or overnight to dry out. A day old stale bread works best.

Just before using the bread, I drizzle the cubed bread with beaten egg, before frying it in a hot wok until it is golden brown and puffy on the outside, but soft on the inside.

The Stuffing Meat Mixture (with or without spare parts)

Ahead of time, I make the meat mixture to go with the bread stuffing. Chicken gizzards and livers are cooked in advance, chopped and then mixed with softened onions, celery, bacon bits, fragranced with mint leaves, cinnamon, clove and pepper powder. Some of the stock is reserved to flavor the bread later.

Golden raisins and bright green peas are a must for a festive look and a celebratory taste.

My husband is not a big fan of spare parts, so he won't eat stuffing made with chicken gizzards and livers. So, for him, I make a separate batch of stuffing just using pieces of sausage meat and bacon. This sausage meat stuffing is just as delicious and is a good option for anyone who doesn't like the more traditional, if somewhat exotic version of stuffing with giblets.

The Cooking Process

There are 2 ways to make stuffing.

1. Prepare the bread stuffing and stuff the raw, whole chicken cavity with stuffing just before roasting the chicken.  As the chicken cooks, the bread stuffing acts like a sponge and readily absorbs all the fat and juices that are released during the baking process. 

The end result is a very flavorful, dense and very rich (if not slightly soggy) stuffing.

2. My preference is to make the stuffing separately in a wok and serve it as a side for roast chicken. In this method of preparation, the bread, which is drizzled with beaten egg,  is tossed on high heat in a wok. The little chunks of bread puff up and turn golden brown. Just before serving the fried bread is tossed in the wok with the meat mixture and a bit of stock. This stuffing is fluffy and light, and with a good dousing of flavorful gravy made with the drippings from the roast chicken, this stuffing is absolutely delicious.

Tip: To fry the bread and stuffing mixture in the wok, use two wooden spoons to toss the bread.

Frying the bread by tossing it in a wok using two wooden spoons.

Fluffy, puffy bread chunks after they have been fried. Golden brown and slightly crisp on the outside, but soft on the inside.

 

Final Step: Tossing the fried bread with the meat mixture in a wok just before serving.

Recipe for Stuffing for Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

☐ 10 slices white bread cut into cubes and left out overnight to dry out.
☐ 5 rashers of bacon
☐ 1/2 onions chopped
☐ 1 stick celery chopped (optional)
☐ 1 cup peas cooked
☐ 1/4 cup raisins 
☐ 1/4 cup sausage cooked and crumbled.
☐ 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
☐ 1/4 teaspoon clove powder
☐ 1/4 teaspoon pepper powder
☐ 1/2 teaspoon chopped mint leaves
☐ Giblets (chicken liver and gizzards)
☐ 1 bay leaf
☐ 2 eggs
☐ Oil

Step by Step Instructions:

Step 1: Make Meat Mixture

1. Cook giblets in a little water, salt, pepper corns and bay leaf.
2. In pan, fry bacon and remove. Chop the bacon into small bits and keep aside.
3. Add chopped onion to the bacon fat and sauté until softened. Add celery and sauté lightly.  Add sausage, chopped bacon, raisins and cook lightly, adding a little stock from the giblets to moisten the mixture as necessary. At the end, add peas and take off the stove. The mixture should be moist but not wet.

Step 2: Toss Bread with Egg

1. Place cubed bread in a bowl. Beat 2 eggs and drizzle the eggs over the chopped bread. Mix the bread so that the bread absorbs all the egg. 

Step 3: Fry Bread

1. In a large wok, add oil. When the oil is hot, add half the quantity of bread to fry the bread. Using two wooden spoons, toss the bread in the wok, to constantly move it around and brown it. The egg will cook and the bread will turn golden brown. Remove the fried bread and set aside. Work in batches to brown the bread.

Step 4: Fry Stuffing Mixture

1.  Just before serving, add the meat mixture to the heated wok. Then add all the fried bread and using two wooden spoons toss the mixture to evenly heat and fry the stuffing mixture. Serve immediately.

Make Ahead Stuffing in the Oven

To make stuffing ahead of time:

1. Cut up a loaf of Italian bread into chunks. Dry in the oven at 250°C in oven.
2. Fry chopped onions, celery and garlic in butter/oil until softened. Add chopped sausage and 1 cup of chicken broth. Add frozen peas along with freshly chopped thyme and sage and a sprinkling of dried parsley. Add 2 beaten eggs to the mixture. Toss the dried bread in the mixture.
3. Spread the bread mixture into a single layer in a large oven ware/ baking dish. 
4. Cover and bake at 325°C for 40 minutes.
5. Uncover, mix the bread mixture to break it up. Dot the top of the stuffing with butter and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes until the tops brown. 

Kitchen Notes: 

• Step 1-4 can be done the day before. And step 5 can be done the day of serving. Just be sure to reheat the stuffing in the oven, covered before uncovering and browning the top.
• For the greenest of peas, add the peas in step 5.

Check out my recipe for Anglo Indian Roast Chicken to accompany this stuffing. 

Or click on the "Anglo Indian" tab below to see my other Anglo Indian style recipes