Heat a medium pot with 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring often, until translucent. Add the garlic for 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and toast for about 2 minutes. Stir in the currants, walnuts, thyme, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour in chicken soup (or water) and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked. Spread the rice over a parchment-lined sheet pan and cool. While rice is cooking, heat up a frying pan, and add 1 tablespoon oil and diced sausage.

Cook until sausage is golden brown, about three minutes. Remove from heat and reserve sausage for stuffing chicken.

In the same pan used to sear sausage, pour in prune juice, orange juice and zest, and brown sugar, and cook until thickened, about fifteen minutes. Heat up oven to 400°F. Lay the chicken skin-side down on cutting board. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 2 tablespoons of rice over chicken, and spread evenly. Repeat with 2 tablespoons of sausage. Pull the skin up around the filling, flip chicken over, and secure shut with a toothpick.

Put the chicken on a parchment-lined sheet pan. With a brush, glaze the chicken skins with pan sauce, pour remaining sauce over the chicken, and roast in the oven. To get a completely glazed chicken, take out chicken in middle of cooking and re-glaze with pan sauce.

Chicken will be cooked through in about 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped chives and remaining sauce.

As seen in the Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine

Chanukah 2014

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