Skip to main content

Roast chicken with stuffing from Switzerland

Serve the roast chicken with some vegetables on the side and potatoes - for a flair of the French-speaking or German-speaking cantons - or pasta - as the Italian-speaking cantons are fond of.

Ingredients

2 1⁄2 lb chicken (chicekn breast halves with wings attached)
1 t sage
2 T butter
  seasoning (salt and pepper to taste)
1 c broth (chicken broth)
1⁄2 t thyme
2 T dried fruit (mixed)
2 T honey
4 sli bread (dark bread, whole wheat, rye, or multi-grain, toasted and torn into small pieces)
1 egg (small)
1⁄2 t salt
1 pn pepper (freshly ground black pepper)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400º F (200°C).

Roast chicken pieces

  1. Rinse chicken with cold water and drain well. Season on all sides and sprinkle with sage.
  2. Brush a large, deep baking dish with butter and place chicken, wing side up, in the dish.
  3. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil, dot chicken with butter, and bake for another 15 minutes.

Make a stock for the stuffing

  1. Pour the chicken broth into a medium-sized saucepan and add a pinch of thyme, 1 Tbs dried fruits, and 1 Tbs honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.
  2. Place toast pieces in a medium-sized bowl and pour stock over them. Break the egg into the bowl and add remaining thyme, honey, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

Cook the stuffing with the chicken

  1. Remove baking dish from oven and transfer chicken to a board or plate. Drain off all but 1/2 cup of pan juices.
  2. Spoon 4 equal heaps of stuffing into the baking dish. Set one chicken piece, wing sides up, on top of each heap. Cover with foil, return to oven, and bake for 30 minutes.
  3. Remove from oven and transfer stuffing, with chicken on top, to a serving platter.
Total time
1 hour, 30 minutes
Cooking time
45
Preparation time
45
Yield
4 servings

Notes

To prepare kale, wash the leaves, cut away the center ribs, along the stems, roll each leaf into 1/4 inch strips.

If you find kale too bitter, substitute it with the same amount of Swiss chard, sweeter flavor and softer texture. Prepare the chard the same way you would kale.

The main dish in a Swiss menu can be any of poultry, veal, beef, or fish. This chicken has a definite Swiss flavor. Substitute honey with maple syrup and you would know the adaptation Swiss cooks made when migrating to the United States.

moderate, poultry
roast, main course
Swiss food recipes
Food in Europe