Roast Chicken With Eggplant And Prune Stuffing

Oh...what to cook for Wednesday evening supper...? I thawed a very large chicken in the fridge overnight (yes, its medication-free - but I lucked out and found a 4 1/2 pounder at the Real Canadian Superstore! I really wanted to do a stuffing, and since I am eating gluten free, I decided to use up some eggplants I had in the fridge, some dried prunes and pistachio nuts to make a yummy wheat free stuffing. What I came up with is a delicious Mediterranean style recipe for a stuffed bird:

Ingredients:
1 large roasting chicken
1Tbsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp Herbs de Provence
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic pepper

1 medium sized eggplant, cut into small dice
3 strips bacon, fat trimmed and diced
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 tsp poultry seasoning
8 prunes, chopped
2 Tbsps pistachios, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil

1.Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat until not quite crisp. Add onions, eggplant and poultry seasoning and continue cooking until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. If  pan becomes dry, add olive oil. Remove from heat and add prunes and nuts. Set aside to cool.
2. In the meantime combine spices and herbs in a small bowl. Season the chicken inside and out with the spice mixture. Stuff the chicken loosely with stuffing and convection roast at 325F until meat thermometer inserted in breast reads 170 F. Remove chicken from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving (this seals in the juices).
3. Scoop out the stuffing and serve on the side.
I used the drippings from the roasting pan to make a delicious gravy, by whisking 3 Tbsps of gluten free flour into the pan juices, cooking over medium-low heat, then slowly adding low sodium chicken stock to the pan, whisking while it thickens to desired consistency. Serves 4-6.

Yam And Potato Gratin
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced
2 lbs yams, peeled and diced
Sea salt, to taste
3 Tbsps buttermilk
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Pecorino (sheep's cheese)
Small bunch fresh chives, chopped

1. Boil yams and potatoes together until soft. Drain. Using electric hand-mixer, whip yams and potatoes together with buttermilk, butter and salt.
2. Place in a casserole dish and top with Pecorino cheese. Broil for 8-10 minutes, or until just golden brown. Sprinkle with chopped chives. Serves 4-6.

*The mixed veggies (carrots, peas and corn) are tossed with browned butter and fresh mint.