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To make the stuffing:
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Pour the hot water into a bowl, and stir in the dried mushrooms.
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Set aside for at least 1 hour.
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Lift the mushrooms from the water, and, holding them over the bowl, press them between your palms to extract most of the liquid.
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Reserve the liquid for use in the gravy.
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If the pieces of reconstituted mushroom are large, slice them into 1/2-inch pieces.
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Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet, and when hot, add the fresh and dried mushrooms, and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until most of the juice is released.
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Add the salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs, stir well to mix, and set aside to cool.
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Lift the skin of the neck of one of the chickens, and cut on each side of the wishbone.
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With your thumb and index finger, pry the wishbone out (see the first step of illustrated chicken preparation).
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Insert your index finger between the skin and the flesh at the neck opening of the chicken, and gently push your hand inside to loosen the skin, not only around the breast but also around the thighs.
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Do not loosen the skin of the back, just the top surface and the sides.
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Repeat with the second chicken.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
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To stuff the chickens:
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Stand a chicken on its tail in a 4-cup glass measuring cup or a bowl of similar size to secure it in the right position.
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Using half the mushroom filling per chicken, stuff the chickens by inserting the filling between the skin and the flesh, pushing it evenly with your fingers throughout the chicken, including the sides of the legs.
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To truss the chickens:
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Cut a length of kitchen twine about 40 inches long for each chicken.
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Be sure to use fairly thick cotton kitchen twine, so it doesnt cut your fingers or the meat of the chicken.
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With one chicken positioned, breast side up, with its neck toward you on the table, center the string under the tail, and bring it around the tips of the drumsticks in a loop.
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Then cross both ends of the string above the chicken, and bring them under the tips of the drumsticks to create a figure Pull on both ends of the string, which will tighten and close up the tail opening.
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Be sure that the legs are pushed back snugly against the chicken.
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Now bring the string around the sides of the chicken until they join at the neck or next to the wing, and tighten the string behind the stump of the neck or one wing.
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It should secure the hanging skin of the neck and be anchored behind the neck or a wing so it doesnt slide off.
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Tie a knot, making several loops instead of just one before pulling it tight.
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(The object is to make a knot that holdsand you dont need someone elses finger to secure it.)
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For good measure, make a second knot.
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Notice that in this trussing technique the string does not go across the top of the breast of the chicken (which would mark the top unattractively); it should just pass around the tips of the legs and extend along the sides and behind the neck and the wings.
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Truss the second chicken in the same way.
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To prevent the chickens from sticking to the roasting pan, put two small pieces of buttered parchment paper in the bottom of the pan.
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Set each chicken on its back on top of the paper in the pan.
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Bake the chickens in the 400-degree oven for 1 hour, basting them with any accumulated juices after about 30 minutes and at the end of the hour.
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Meanwhile, prepare the grits.
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To make the gratin of grits:
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While the chicken is roasting, bring the chicken stock, salt, and pepper to a boil in a large saucepan.
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When boiling, slowly stir in the grits.
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Cook for 35 to 40 minutes over medium heat.
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The grits should be fairly thick but not pasty at this point.
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Butter a 6-cup gratin dish, and pour the grits into it.
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When ready to finish cooking, pour the cream on top, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
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Remove the chickens from the warm oven, and transfer them to an ovenproof platter or tray, placing them on their sides or breast side down so the juices flow through the breasts.
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Heat up the broiler, and cook the gratin in the middle of the oven under but not too close to the broiler for 10 minutes to brown the surface.
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Reduce the oven temperature to 150 degrees.
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Remove the trussing string, and put the tray of chickens, uncovered, in the warm oven while you make the gravy.
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To make the gravy:
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Before discarding the pieces of parchment paper, be sure to scrape off and recover any solidified juices that may be clinging to them.
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Skim off most of the fat from the drippings.
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Pour the soaking liquid from the dried mushrooms into the roasting pan, making sure you leave behind and discard any sediment from the liquid.
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Put the pan over a hot burner, and stir with a flat spatula to loosen all the coagulated juices.
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Strain the liquid into a small saucepan.
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You should have about 1 1/2 cups of gravy.
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Add the dissolved arrowroot to the gravy, stir, and bring to a boil to thicken.
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Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
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To serve:
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Arrange the roasted chickens on a large platter, and pour some of the gravy over and around them.
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Decorate the cavity opening with parsley or watercress, if you want, and serve immediately with the gratin of grits.
