Bobotie Spiced Roast Chicken with Apricot & Walnut Stuffing

Ingredients

1.2kg                    Whole Chicken, giblets removed
1                            Onion, finely chopped
50g                       Butter
50g                       Walnuts, chopped
100g                     Dried Apricots, finely chopped
1Cup                     Bread Crumbs
20g                       Coriander, leaves and stalks chopped finely
Zest of 1 lemon
1                            Eggs
Salt & Pepper to taste
30ml                     Brown Sugar
15ml                     Ginger Powder
15ml                     Mild Curry Powder
15ml                     Turmeric
10ml                     Salt
1.25ml                  Pepper
500ml                   Green Apple, grated
125ml                   Apricot Jam
80ml                     Brown Vinegar

Method
This recipe is an excuse to use our hands and get a little dirty, but have fun while doing it.
Preheat oven to 180*C

Fry of the onions in the butter until the just start to brown, then add in the nuts. Cook these until the nuts are nice a toasty and the onions are cooked.
Remove from the heat and add in the apricots, coriander, lemon zest and breadcrumbs. Taste to see if it needs anymore seasoning and adjust accordingly. Let cool then mix in the egg.

Now get your hands dirty, put the stuffing into the back cavity of the chicken, make sure to get into all the gaps and make sure not leave any air pockets. If there is any left over gently put the stuffing in between the meat and skin of the chicken over the breast area.

Now for the bobotie part. Combine the sugar, spices, apple, jam and vinegar in a small pot with a ¼C of water. Cook this over a medium heat until it becomes thick and the spices are cooked through.

Keep about ¼ of the bobotie mix a side for basting later. Pour the rest of the mix over the chicken and massage in with your hands to ensure that you get every nook and cranny.

Put the chicken in an oven proof dish and a place in the middle of the oven. Roast for about 1-1½ hours. Half way through the roasting process our the remaining bobotie sauce of the chicken and continue cooking. To check if the chicken is cooked simply insert a knife into the thickest part of the chicken, if the liquid comes out clear the chicken is cooked.

Louisvale Chardonnay 2019

The ripe peach flavours pair beautifully with the spiciness of the bobotie.  The layers of oak and vanilla gives this wine the perfect amount of body to match with the aromas and spiciness that comes forth from the bobotie chicken.