Recipe: Chicken Stuffed with Cheese

Chicken Stuffed with Cheese

For stuffing chicken:
4 ounces mild feta cheese (original recipe used goat cheese)
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed (none in original)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, flat-leaf parsley, and mint (original used only cilantro)
salt and pepper
1 (5-pound) roasting chicken

For flavored basting butter:
1/2 cup olive oil (original used all butter)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced (none in original)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons dry white wine or dry vermouth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (original used lime)
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (original used lime)
salt and pepper

Mix cheese, butter, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. Blend well. Loosen skin over the breast of the chicken with your fingers and stuff the cheese mixture between the skin and breast meat, patting the mixture out as evenly as possible. Pull skin back into place. Truss chicken, if desired. Brush all over generously with basting butter. Grill over very hot coals and, turning and basting with flavored butter about every 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and well browned all over (the skin over the breasts gets quite dark because of the stuffing underneath). Depending on your fire and cooking method, it could be done in as little as 45 minutes. Ensure the chicken is cooked thoroughly by piercing on the inside of the thigh meat - if the juices have pink in it, it isn't done! Let chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before carving for service. If you want, use the basting butter on veggies that you cook along with the chicken.