- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 6 cups (loosely packed) fresh white breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
- 1 5-pound roasting chicken (liver, heart, gizzard and neck reserved)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 14 thick-cut bacon slices
- 8 medium-size white-skinned potatoes (about 4 pounds), peeled, quartered
- 8 small pork breakfast sausages
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups Chicken Giblet Stock
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- Red currant jelly
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until just beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Add breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, lemon juice and lemon peel and stir gently to blend. Season stuffing generously with salt and pepper. Cool. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Spoon stuffing into cavity of chicken. Tie legs together to hold shape. Rub remaining 2 tablespoons butter over outside of chicken. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Pour oil into heavy large roasting pan. Place chicken in pan. Arrange 6 bacon slices over chicken. Arrange potatoes around chicken.
- Roast chicken and potatoes 45 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Starting at 1 short end of each remaining bacon slice, roll up into cylinders. Secure with toothpicks. Arrange bacon rolls and sausages around chicken. Remove bacon slices from atop chicken; reserve for garnish. Continue roasting chicken until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F and potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes longer. Transfer chicken, potatoes, sausages and bacon rolls to platter. Tent chicken with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Pour off all but 3 tablespoons drippings from roasting pan. Finely chop chicken liver. Add liver and onion to drippings in roasting pan and sauté over medium heat until onion begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir 2 minutes. Gradually stir in wine and remaining 1 cup Chicken Giblet Stock. Simmer until thickened to sauce consistency, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish chicken with reserved bacon slices. Pass gravy and jelly separately.