Pinhead Oatmeal Stuffing for a Chicken Weighing 3½lbs/1.8

Name: Pinhead Oatmeal Stuffing for a Chicken Weighing 3½lbs/1.8
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 6 ounces pinhead oats; 2 -3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 onions, finely diced; 2 sticks celery, sliced finely; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon salt; 15 grinds black pepper; 2 lemons finely grated rind; 1 sprig thyme; 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley

Submitted by Debbie G.

"scottish stuffing"

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Ready In:: 1hr 40mins
Ingredients:: 10
Serves:: 4

ingredients

6 ounces pinhead oats
2 -3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, finely diced
2 sticks celery, sliced finely
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon salt
15 grinds black pepper
2 lemons finely grated rind
1 sprig thyme
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley

directions

In a wide sauté pan over a moderately high heat dry-fry the pinhead oatmeal, shaking the pan several times, for 4-5 minutes, then tip it on to a plate to cool.
In the same pan, add the olive oil and the finely diced onions and sliced celery, and cook, stirring from time to time, for about 5 minutes – the onions should look transparent. Season with salt and black pepper, add the finely grated lemon rind, and the toasted (dry-fried) oatmeal, the thyme leaves and chopped parsley, and mix all together thoroughly. This can be done 24 hours in advance of stuffing and roasting the bird. It is dry, but don’t worry, it’s meant to be. Stuff it into the chicken, cramming it in, and roast the bird. The juices from the roasting chicken moisten the stuffing, but I think it is so much better without any egg added to the stuffing, to bind it, because I find it then becomes stodgy on spooning from the roasted bird onto the plates, alongside the carved chicken. As the chicken roasts, the flavours of the stuffing permeate the chicken flesh.