Georgian Stuffed Chicken

This recipe was inspired by the cuisine of Georgia, on the Black Sea. The stuffing is a simple affair of rice cooked with onions, garlic and dried sour cherries. Parsley is forked through before spooning the rice into the chickens. And yes, chickens: I take the view that one bird is a meal, two is a feast.

Ingredients

• 2

  5-pound chickens

• 6

  tablespoons butter

• 2

  onions, peeled and finely chopped

• 2

  cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1

  cup basmati rice

• ½

  cup dried sour cherries, roughly chopped

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• ¼

  cup chopped parsley

Preparation

1. Remove any fat from cavities of chickens, and place fat in a wide saucepan. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter and place over medium heat. When butter melts, add onions and garlic. Sauté until onion softens and begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Discard any remaining hard bits of chicken fat. Add rice and chopped cherries to pan. Stir well, and add 2 cups water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to as low as possible. Cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Season rice mixture with salt and pepper to taste and stir in parsley. Spoon rice into cavities of both chickens. Use kitchen twine to tie legs together tightly so stuffing is secure.
4. Place chickens in a roasting pan and rub with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Place in oven and roast until skin is crisp and golden and juices run clear when pierced near the thigh with a knife, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Allow chicken to rest before carving. Serve each portion of chicken with some stuffing.