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1
Preheat oven to 400F.
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2
Empty contents of stuffing box, both the bread crumb and seasoning envelopes, into a medium bowl.
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3
Add hot water and butter; stir to mix.
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4
Add chopped water chestnuts, onion and poultry seasoning, mix thoroughly and set aside.
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5
Check inside the chicken for giblets, remove and set aside.
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6
Rinse chicken inside and out with cold running water.
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7
Dry thoroughly inside and out with paper towel.
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8
Sprinkle salt and fresh ground pepper inside the cavity and all over the outside.
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9
Place chicken in a roaster.
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10
Loosely pack the stuffing mix into the main cavity and any left into the neck cavity folding the skin over it.
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11
If necessary secure the neck skin with a pick.
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12
Take a length of kitchen string and tie the ends of the legs as close together as possible.
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13
Rub the butter all over the outside of the chicken making sure to cover the whole outside surface.
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14
Take two lengths of aluminum foil, place one piece over the chicken lengthwise, take the other piece and place it sideways over the first piece.
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15
Tuck the foil tightly to the chicken so it is touching the bottom of the roaster but not under the bird.
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16
If the bird is not completely covered (except for the underside) Use a third piece to finish covering.
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17
Place the roaster on the middle rack of the oven and roast at 400f degrees for 15 minutes.
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18
Reduce the heat after 15 minutes to 350f degrees and roast for approximately 2 hours.
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19
At about 2 hours, carefully lift the aluminum foil and poke the chicken with a fork, if the juice runs clear, remove the foil and roast a further 30 minutes to brown the skin to golden.
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20
If the juice is not yet clear, roast a little longer and check again.
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21
Once the chicken is well browned, remove to platter, cover with foil and let rest.
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22
In the meantime, if you wish to make giblet gravy, take the giblets (and neck if it's there), place in a saucepan, cover with water, add salt and pepper and a little poultry seasoning if you wish, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour.
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23
Remove to strainer, reserving liquid.
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24
Chop the giblets and pick any meat off neck bones, add to a blender and add the liquid.
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25
Blend to liquefy level, add 3 or 4 tablespoons flour or corn starch and blend to mix well.
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26
Pour off as much fat as possible from the roaster, take a whisk and move up any bits and pieces of stuffing/chicken stuck to the bottom, remove any large pieces of skin, add the giblet mix from the blender, whisk around; place in 450F to 500F degree oven until bubbly, about 10 minutes; add a small amount of hot water if necessary if it is too thick until it is the consistancy you want, cook another 5 minutes.
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27
(We like ours very thick) Whisk and pour into gravy boat and serve hot with the roast chicken.
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28
Gravy can also be made without the giblets, just whisk up the brown bits in the roaster and add 1 cup of hot water and make a slurry of cold water and either flour or corn starch, add the slurry and whisk, cook the same as above adding a little more water if necessary.
