Roast Chicken with Apple Bread Stuffing and Rutabaga Mash

A juicy roast chicken with a savory apple and bread stuffing and creamy rutabaga mash, just like the dishes served at Thanksgiving, but down-to-earth and with a German heartiness. The roast is a lovely festive greeting for the autumn table.

By yumbelo · 4 servings · 120 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg Whole chicken
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper
• 1 tsp Sweet paprika powder
• 2 tbsp Cooking oil
• 250 g Stale bread rolls
• 2 pc Tart apples
• 1 pc Onion
• 200 g Button mushrooms
• 30 g Butter
• 200 ml Milk
• 1 pc Egg
• 1 tsp Marjoram, dried
• 1 bunch Parsley, chopped
• 800 g Rutabaga
• 500 g Floury potatoes
• 30 g Butter for the mash
• 100 ml Milk for the mash
• 1 pinch Nutmeg, grated
• 250 ml Water for the pan juices
• 1 tbsp Wheat flour

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (conventional heat, top and bottom). Rinse the chicken inside and out under cold water, pat dry, and season with salt, pepper and paprika powder.
2. Cut the bread rolls into cubes. Finely dice the onion, clean the mushrooms and slice them.
3. Heat the butter in a large pan and fry the onion and mushrooms in it for 5 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated.
4. Peel, core and dice the apples, add them to the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
5. Whisk the milk with the egg, season with marjoram, parsley and a pinch of salt. Pour over the bread cubes, mix with the mushroom and apple mixture and let it soak for 10 minutes.
6. Either spoon the stuffing loosely into a greased baking dish, or fill the body cavity of the chicken with it and close the opening with kitchen twine.
7. Place the chicken breast-side up on a rack in the oven and set the baking dish underneath. Roast for about 75 minutes, until the juices run clear when the thighs are pierced.
8. Meanwhile, peel the rutabaga and potatoes and cut them into coarse cubes. Boil in salted water for about 20 minutes until soft, drain and let steam dry briefly.
9. Mash or purée the vegetables with butter, hot milk and nutmeg until creamy and season with salt.
10. Take the chicken out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Loosen the roasting juices from the dish with water, thicken with flour and let simmer briefly.
11. Carve the chicken and serve with the stuffing, the rutabaga mash and the pan juices.