Whole Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 chicken
• ½ lb ground veal
• 3 slices bread soaked in milk
• ¼ lb ground pork
• 4 tbsp butter
• ¼ lb sausage
• 1 tbsp pistachios
• ¼ lb beef tongue
• 3 tbsp brandy
• ¼ lb cooked ham
• 2 eggs
• ⅛ lb grated Parmesan cheese
• salt, pepper, spices (to taste)

Directions

1. Bone the chicken except for the legs, using a very sharp paring knife.
2. Cut along the back bone of the chicken.
3. Very carefully cut the meat away from the bones in a downwards motion.
4. Clean and season the chicken.
5. Prepare the stuffing: in a bowl, mix well ground meat, sausage cut in fine pieces, eggs, cheese, bread slices (with all the milk squeezed out), salt, pepper and other spices (onion, garlic, thyme, parsley, etc. ) cut tongue and ham into strips.
6. Open the chicken and layer it with half of the stuffing, half of the tongue and ham strips, half of the pistachios; then repeat it once more.
7. Close the chicken; before sewing it up, enclose the skin from the neck inside the chicken.
8. Sew up the back and front of the chicken.
9. Sauté chicken in butter in a frying pan until golden.
10. Next flame the chicken by pouring brandy into a ladle and igniting it.
11. Pour flaming brandy over the chicken.
12. Alcohol will burn off without flavoring the meat.
13. Place chicken in a roasting pan and bake in 350°F oven for 1½ to 2 hours, basting often.
14. When chicken is done, take it out of the oven and let it stand at room temperature, still in the pan, for about 10 minutes before un-sewing it.
15. Slice and serve with vegetables of your choice.