Stuffed Four Bird Roast Recipes

STUFFED STANDING RIB ROAST

Steps:

• Put the porcini mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit until softened, about 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon so any grit stays at the bottom of the bowl; finely chop the mushrooms.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the cremini and porcini mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the water cooks off and the mushrooms start to brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Stir in the shallots, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper and cook until the shallots soften and the mushrooms turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and spread in a thin layer to cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 more tablespoons of the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and softened, about 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Transfer the spinach to a colander set in a bowl to drain any excess moisture. Let cool to room temperature.
• While the spinach cools, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the brioche cubes and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• With a sharp boning knife, cut the meat and fat away from the rib bones about 1 1/2 inches down from the top, scraping the bones as clean as you can. Trim any excess fat so there's no more than 1/4-inch covering the meat. (You can also ask your butcher to do this for you.)
• Put the roast on a large cutting board with the bones upright. Holding a large, sharp knife parallel to the bones and about 1 inch from the back of the bones, cut straight down until you are about 1 inch from the bottom of the roast. Gently pull the meat away from the bone so that the bones are upright and the meat is on the cutting board. Position the knife so it is parallel to the cutting board and, starting where you left off with your last cut, continue to cut into the meat about 1 inch up from the board, slowly unrolling the meat as you cut. You will have a long rectangular piece of meat attached to the bone that is about 1-inch thick.
• Once the meat is in an even layer, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Spread the mushroom mixture in an even layer on the meat. Top with the brioche and then layer on the spinach. Dot with the truffle butter if using. Starting at the boneless end, tightly roll the meat back up and secure tightly with butcher twine (tie it all the way around the roast between each rib). Sprinkle the outside with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
• Place bone-side down on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan and transfer to the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, then turn the heat to 350 degrees F and continue to roast until the meat registers 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer for medium-rare, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Transfer the roast to a cutting board and let rest for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

STUFFED FOUR-BIRD ROAST

Steps:

• 1. For the first stuffing, melt the butter in a pan, add the onion and apple and soften them over a gentle heat without browning. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the nuts and cook for 2 more minutes. Tip the mixture into a bowl and mix in the breadcrumbs and herbs. Season well. For the second stuffing, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Season well. 2. Lay the boned turkey out on a flat surface, skin side down, and season it with salt and pepper. Spread over some of the first stuffing, then put a duck breast on each side. Add some of the second stuffing to fill the spaces and make the surface smooth. Add the remaining meats in the same way, alternating the stuffings and seasoning each layer. 3. Now pull the sides of the turkey together (like a cardigan) - another pair of hands is invaluable here. Tuck in the edges and, using a trussing needle and butchers' string, stitch the turkey together very securely, starting at the neck end. Turn the bird over so the stitched side is underneath. Now take a really long piece of string - about 3 metres. Start by knotting the crossed drumsticks together using the mid-section of the string. Then criss-cross the strings underneath the bird and take them round the back, pulling the drumsticks in to make a neater shape. Criss-cross them again and take them back round the wings to the neck end, pulling the wings into the sides, and tie securely. You could also tie another piece of string around the bird to hold it together. Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5. 4. Weigh the bird and work out the cooking time - it will need about 40 minutes per kilogram. Place it in a roasting tin, then roast it for the required time. Fifteen minutes before the end of the cooking time, turn the heat up to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7 to brown the skin. Remove the turkey from the oven, put it on a board and cover with a double layer of foil. Leave it to rest for 1 hour. 5. Remove the string. Cut the turkey down the middle with a serrated knife. Taking one half at a time, turn it cut side down and carve it across into slices. Each slice will contain a mixture of meats and stuffing.

ROASTED CAPON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the capon, breast-side up, in a large roasting pan and pat the outside dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity generously with salt and pepper. Place the lemons and thyme inside the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wings under the body. Brush the capon with half of the melted butter, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Place the onions around the capon, pour the rest of the melted butter over the onions and sprinkle the onions with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place the capon in the oven and roast for 1 1/2 hours, until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh.
• Remove the capon from the oven and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Allow the capon to rest for 20 minutes, then carve it and serve warm with the onions.

CHESTNUT & WILD MUSHROOM STUFFED THREE-BIRD ROAST

Steps:

• For the stuffing, soak the porcini in 300ml boiling water and set aside for 20 mins, then drain, reserving the liquid, and finely chop. Heat the butter and fry the shallots for 2 mins, then add the mushrooms and cook for 3 mins more. Leave to cool. Mix with all the other stuffing ingredients and set aside.
• Place the chicken, breast-side down, on the board. Use a sharp boning knife to cut through the skin on the backbone along the length of the bird. Slowly run your knife down against one side of the ribcage, working down the length of the chicken and keeping close to the bone. As you cut, use the other hand to gently pull away the skin and expose the flesh. Pop out the thigh and wing joints, and cut through where they are attached to the main carcass. Continue cutting down the side of the bird, keeping the knife as close to the carcass as possible, until you reach the ridge of the breast bone, then repeat with the other side.
• To remove the carcass completely, snap away the wishbone where it joins at the neck end and carefully cut beneath the breast bone - this is where the skin is at its thinnest, so carefully cut away, then lift and cut away the carcass, as you don't want to nip or pierce the skin.
• Open up the chicken, skin-side down, and scrape clean or cut away the thigh bones and any other stray bits of bone or cartilage like the wishbone. Remove the 2 smaller fillets that run along the breast and set aside. Finally, use a larger chopping knife to cut off the feet and wing tips, but don't discard them.
• Repeat with the pheasant, but cut the legs off completely so you are left with just the 2 breasts attached by the skin. Cut the legs in half and keep. You should now have the semi-boned chicken, the pheasant breasts, the skinned duck breast and the stuffing. If all that butchery doesn't appeal, your butcher - with a bit of warning - should be able to prepare all the birds to this stage for you.
• To assemble the roast, open up the chicken, skin-side down. Put a third of the stuffing between 2 pieces of cling film and use a rolling pin to roll it out flat so that it just covers the surface area, then place on top of the chicken. Lay the duck breast in the middle of the stuffing, cover with a layer of stuffing, then add the pheasant breasts, skin-side down. Add a final layer of stuffing and lay the 2 chicken mini fillets on top.
• Tuck in the top and bottom edges of the chicken, and pull the two long edges together. Tuck one edge of it over the other so everything is rolled together and neatly encased, then flip over. Using butcher's string, tie the chicken at regular intervals around the width, then tie it once around the length to hold the stuffing in. Finally, tie the legs together. Can be prepared to this stage and chilled up to 1 day ahead.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Scatter the shallots, thyme and carrot into a roasting tin with the pheasant legs and chicken wing tips. Place the roast on the vegetables and rub all over with the softened butter. Pour the wine over, then season generously. Put the tin in the oven and cook for 1 hr 40 mins until beautifully browned all over, or until a digital cooking thermometer reads 68C (or above) when inserted in the middle. Remove, loosely cover with foil, and leave to rest somewhere warm for 30 mins.
• While the roast is resting, make the gravy. Place the tin on a low flame if flameproof, or tip the contents into a saucepan if not. Scatter over the flour and cook until light brown. Gradually pour in the mushroom soaking liquid, then the chicken stock. Simmer everything together until you have a smooth, thickened gravy, adding any resting juices from the roast. Season to taste, then strain the gravy through a sieve into another saucepan. When the roast has rested, remove the string, carefully carve into thick slices and sprinkle with thyme.

ROAST GUINEA FOWL WITH CHESTNUT, SAGE & LEMON STUFFING

Steps:

• First make the stuffing. Soften the onion in the butter very gently, then stir in the sage and cook for 2 mins more. Scrape into a bowl with the chopped walnuts, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, mace, chestnuts and egg and mix together well. Season generously.
• For the guinea fowl, wash and wipe out the inside cavity. Mix the butter with some seasoning, then push and spread some under the skin over the breasts, and rub the rest over the legs. Lay the bacon across the breasts, smoothing over, and season with some more pepper. Push the stuffing into the cavity (any extra can be rolled into balls and baked in the oven for the last 20 mins cooking time). You can cover and chill the guinea fowl now for up to 24 hours.
• To roast, bring the bird out of the fridge 30 mins before. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Sit the bird in a snug roasting tin with the sliced onion underneath. Roast for 15 mins, then lower the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and roast for a further 35-45 mins for a 1kg bird (or longer if bigger - use the timings for a roast chicken). Check the bird is done by piercing the inside of the thigh with a knife and making sure the juices are clear, not bloody. Lift the guinea fowl off the onions, onto a platter. Loosely cover with foil, top with a towel (to keep it warm), and rest while you make the gravy.
• Pour off the juices from the roasting tray into a jug or bowl, and allow to settle. Spoon a tbsp of the fat on top back into the roasting tray, pop on the hob over a low heat (make sure your roasting tray is suitable or transfer contents to a pan), and stir in the flour until it isn't dusty anymore. Gradually stir in the stock, plus any meat juices after you've discarded the rest of the fat, and bubble gently until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and pinches of sugar if it needs it, then strain into a gravy jug and discard the onions. Serve with the guinea fowl, spooning out the stuffing as you carve, plus cranberry sauce and plenty of vegetables.

STUFFED SIRLOIN ROAST

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook 6 bacon strips over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 3 tablespoons drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside. In drippings, saute onion, celery and carrot until crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in bread crumbs, parsley, garlic powder, pepper and bacon. Let stand until liquid is absorbed., Preheat oven to 325°. Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of roast to within 1/2 in. of bottom. Open roast so it lies flat; cover with plastic wrap. Flatten to 1-in. thickness. Remove plastic; spread stuffing over meat to within 1 in. of edges. Close roast and tie at 1-in. intervals with kitchen string., Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Cut remaining bacon strips in half; arrange over top of roast. Bake, uncovered, 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until meat reached desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°). Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

GRANDMA RUTH'S STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the mushrooms, celery, and onions until softened.
• Dampen the fresh bread cubes (not the stuffing mix), then squeeze out any excess water.
• In a large bowl, combine the mushroom mixture, bread cubes, stuffing mix, eggs, and 1 can chicken broth. Season with sage, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and mix well. The stuffing should have a rather paste-like consistency. Mix in additional chicken broth as necessary.
• Loosely pack stuffing inside turkey cavity before roasting.