Roast Chicken With Black Rice Stuffing

As millions of fans of the PBS television series “Yan Can Cook” attest, Martin Yan is America’s favorite Icon of Asian Cooking. Winner of two James Beard Awards, and the author of 26 best-selling Asian cookbooks, Martin Yan is known for his resourceful creation of recipes that caters to the mass consumers. His recipe of the Roast Chicken , in place of the traditional turkey dish, would be a perfect knock-out for Asian chefs who are looking for something to refresh the holiday menu. Recipe is selected from The Well-Seasoned Wok by Martin Yan, from the national Public Television series. Roast Chicken With Black Rice Stuffing Serves 6 The black rice stuffing flows out of a tender, juicy, golden brown roast chicken. A striking purplish color when cooked, black rice has a flavor that closely resembles that of wild rice. Ingredients 1/2 cup dried chestnuts 6 dried black mushrooms 2 cups uncooked black glutinous rice 2 tablespoons cooking oil 4 shallots, thinly sliced 1 Chinese sausage (about 2 ounces), thinly sliced diagonally 2 green onions, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons sesame oil 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates 6 hard-boiled quail eggs 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 1 roasting chicken, 4 to 5 pounds, giblets removed Steps 1. Soak the dried chestnuts overnight in water to cover; drain. Place them in a pan and cover with fresh water. Simmer, covered, until soft, about 30 minutes; drain. Soak the mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes; drain. Discard the stems and thinly slice the caps. 2. Rinse and drain the rice; place it in a 2-quart pan with 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and boil until the water is reduced to the level of the rice. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover, drain, and cool briefly 3. Have a wok over medium-high heat until hot. Add the cooking oil, shallots, sausage, and dried mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chestnuts and rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the green onions and oyster sauce and cook for 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Remove the wok from the heat; add the dates and quail eggs and toss lightly to mix. Let cool. 4. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Rub the salt and five-spice all over the inside and outside of the chicken. Rub the soy sauce and pepper over the skin. Spoon the stuffing into the chicken. Skewer the opening closed. Place the chicken breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F. Continue to cook until the meat near the thigh bone is no longer pink when pierced, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and brush it with the remaining sesame oil. Let stand 10 minutes before carving.