Stuffed Chicken, Cyprus Style

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Title: Stuffed Chicken, Cyprus Style
Categories: Ethnic, Poultry
Yield: 6 servings

1 Roasting chicken Salt
3 tb Vegetable oil or butter 1 ts Ground cinnamon
1/2 c Blanched, slivered almonds 1 pn Granulated sugar
3/4 c Raw long-grain white rice 1/2 c Currants
1/2 c Dry white wine Melted butter or veg. oil
1 1/4 c -Water

Wash and dry the chicken, reserving the liver, and set aside. In a medium
saucepan, heat the oil or butter and saute the almonds and liver, then
remove with a slotted spoon. Chop the liver and set aside with the nuts.
Add the rice to the fat in the pan and saute over medium heat, stirring
constantly, then pour in the wine, water, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Cover
and cook for 12 minutes, or until the rice is almost tender. Stir in the
almonds, liver, and currants and remove the pan from the heat.

Spoon the stuffing into the large cavity of the chicken and close tightly
with skewers. Truss the chicken and brush the surface lightly with melted
butter or oil. Set in a baking pan, breast side up, and bake for 1 1/4
hours, or until tender, in moderate oven (350 F), turning with 2 wodden
spoons every 20 minutes and basting frequently with drippings. Remove the
stuffing from the cavity and transfer to the center of a warm platter.
Carve the chicken and arrange around the stuffing. Serve warm.

Note: For a popular mainland version, substitute pine nuts, nutmeg, and a
little chopped celery and parsley, and soaked bread for the almonds,
cinnamon, and rice.

From: "The Food of Greece" by Vilma Liacouras Chantiles. Avenel Books, New
York.

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