Stuffed chicken in a casserole (traditional recipe)

Few recipes are more impressive when family or guests come over than roasting chicken. Today I bring you the way we always make it stuffed chicken roulade (but with the same step-by-step and tips you can make a whole chicken).

The important thing is to make the chicken very flavorful and well roasted, so I bring you the key points for roasting chicken.

Tricks and tips for making roast chicken

1. Use quality meat, and this is not just talk: it's worth investing in free-range meat from animals that have had a good life and diet. The meat will taste better, have a better texture and won't release as much water or shrink as much.
2. To roast meat, use iron cookware and not ceramics*: iron reaches higher temperatures, so (1) you'll sear the meat faster, preventing it from losing liquid and flavor; and (2) it reflects heat much better, so you'll achieve better-roasted meat, with that browning and crispy exterior we all want in a roast.
3. You need to add aroma, lots of aroma! If there's something that can't be missing in a good roast it's (1) a generous amount of garlic (at least one head of garlic) and (2) a good amount of herbs, like rosemary, thyme, bay... And of course, salt and pepper in the right measure.
4. Baste the chicken with the oil, which becomes more and more aromatic every minute. This ensures it will be tasty and tender inside, while also helping the exterior roast.
5. If you’re cooking the chicken in a casserole, during the first part of the cooking leave the chicken with the lid on, so the heat penetrates the meat and it cooks through inside without browning on the outside (also remember that the lid radiates heat too, so it cooks all around). After the first 45 or 50 minutes you can remove the lid.
6. When the chicken is almost done, pour a good glug of cognac and let it evaporate. It will add aroma and help the roast finish browning in the last minutes.
7. Side dishes, to taste. Some people accompany the chicken with a wide variety of vegetables, from tomatoes to carrots, onions, peppers, mushrooms, apple... Others don't, and are happy with just garlic and onion. Choose accompaniments to your liking, but it's important to cut the vegetables to the right size according to their nature and hardness (harder vegetables cut medium or smaller; softer vegetables or fruits cut into large wedges). That way you'll ensure they stay intact and don't burn after the long cooking time these roasts require.

Cocottes Le Creuset and slate dishes from pizzarra Revol

In a round casserole or in an oval casserole?

Round cocottes are the most popular, because they perfectly adapt to the shape of the stovetop and distribute heat evenly and radially across their base.

So, a round casserole will be ideal for your day-to-day: making soups and purées, pasta, rice, grain stews, meat and fish, for baking cakes or for making bread...

When is it ideal to use an oval casserole? The oval casserole is ideal for long or whole pieces: for a rolled chicken roast, for roasting a whole chicken (cut into quarters you can fit it perfectly in a round one), for lamb legs, for whole fish or large loins... When you plan to cook long pieces, the oval casserole is perfect (likewise, in an oval casserole you can make everything mentioned before).

With all that said, let’s get to this traditional, easy roast chicken recipe in a casserole!

Ingredients

• Stuffed chicken roulade (see note)
• 2 onions
• 1 large head of garlic or 1 and a half
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Rosemary or thyme
• One bay leaf
• Olive oil
• A generous glug of cognac
• Optional: tomatoes, carrot, potato, mushrooms...

Note: Choose carefully where you buy the stuffed chicken so that the meat and ingredients are of good quality. There are many types of stuffing, from the simplest like cheese and ham, to others that include Serrano ham or bacon, raisins, dried apricots, egg, mushrooms, vegetables, apple or pear... Today's is egg and prunes.

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 170 ºC.
2. Season the stuffed chicken roulade with salt and pepper all over, generously.
3. Pour a good glug of oil into the casserole of cast iron, so that a large part of the bottom is covered. Place the rolled roast into the casserole.
4. Peel the garlic and distribute them throughout the casserole whole, surrounding the meat and also placing them above and below the meat. You can put some peeled and others unpeeled, but be generous with the garlic.
5. Peel and halve the onions, and arrange the pieces around the sides of the stuffed chicken roulade.
6. If you want to add vegetables, like carrots or tomatoes, cut them into large pieces and add them now to the casserole.
7. Scatter rosemary on top, and also leave several whole sprigs on top and around the chicken.
8. Pour a good splash of oil (Be generous!), close the casserole and place it in the oven covered.
9. Let it cook, covered, for about 45 or 50 minutes. During that time, turn the chicken a couple or three times. After that, remove the lid and raise the temperature to 180-190 ºC. Let it roast for another 45 or 50 minutes. During that time, keep turning and basting the chicken several times with the juices from the casserole itself. When it looks well roasted, remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool down.
10. The rolled chicken roast is ideal to prepare the day before serving. Whether you made it the day before or let it cool for a few hours, it’s time to slice: take it out of the casserole and set it on a wooden board. Cut the net that wraps it and, with the help of a electric knife or deli slicer, slice it into one-centimeter or one-and-a-half-centimeter rounds, according to your preferences). Once sliced, return the meat to the casserole.
11. About ten minutes before serving, put the casserole on the stove, covered, to warm the meat. Remember to serve the meat drizzled with that delicious juice—with all its aroma. There’s no better way to enjoy it than mopping up with bread!

Note: While the casserole is in the oven, I usually prepare some mushrooms in a skillet to go with it. Simply pour a splash of oil into a skillet and put it on the heat, add a couple of peeled garlic cloves and, when it’s hot, add the mushrooms or wild mushrooms you want, cleaned and halved. Let them sear a bit and add salt, pepper, and herbes de Provence. When they’re starting to cook through, you can set them aside and add them to the casserole with the chicken when there are about 15 minutes left to finish roasting in the oven. You can also finish cooking them in the skillet and serve the mushrooms separately so each diner can help themselves.

And you, what tricks do you have to achieve a great roast? Leave them in the comments, I'm sure we'll all learn great things from everything you share.

*Ceramic roasting dishes are also suitable for roasting, but the result will never be the same as with iron: ceramic is a moisture-retaining material, so they are really indicated for recipes you want to keep moist, such as cannelloni or lasagna, for stews or baking a cake.