Guinness Roasted Chicken And Mushroom Dressing

I don't consider myself creative...until I step foot in a kitchen or look through cooking magazines, thumbing through the countless options to delight the taste buds, and then it's like opening Pandora's box. I just can't stop! While visiting friends recently, I found myself pondering the age-old question of 'what's for dinner' as it was my treat and pleasure to cook a meal for them. When this happens, rarely can you go wrong with Martha. The January 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living featured The New Roast Chicken...but I still found myself tweaking the ingredients! Sorry Martha. The two main recipes I adapted mine from were:

• Inside-Out "Stuffed" Chicken With Mushroom Dressing
• Beer-Can Roasted Chicken With Fig-Jam Pan Sauce

Ingredients for Dressing:
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 Medium Onions, thinly sliced
1 Bunch Celery, stalks thinly sliced crosswise
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
Sea Salt and Coarse Pepper, to taste
1.5 Lbs Mixed Wild Mushrooms, sliced
4 Cups Stuffing Mix (I used Beckmann’s from Whole Foods)
1 Cup Chicken Stock
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
(zest lemon first for later use with a vegetable dish)

Ingredients for Chicken:
1 Whole Chicken, about 4.5 lbs
2 Tablespoons Softened Butter
1 Pinch Sea Salt
1 Tablespoon Paprika
1 Can Guinness Stout
1 Small Bunch Thyme

Preheat oven to 450F

Wash and pat dry chicken. Open beer and drink 1/3 of the can. With a sharp knife or scissors, poke eight holes into the can (around the top 1/3). Mix paprika and softened butter. Rub skin of chicken with mixture. Place thyme into beer can. Sprinkle with sea salt and place the chicken on top of the beer can in a large roasting pan.

Transfer chicken to the oven carefully (breast side to the back of the oven). Roast for 20min.

While Chicken is roasting. Make dressing.
In a large skillet over high heat, melt 2 tbsp. butter. Cook onion, celery and garlic until translucent (3-5min). Season with salt. Remove from skillet. Then cook mushrooms in 2 tbsp butter and add to onion mixture. Stir in stuffing mix, stock, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Place dressing mixture evenly around the base of the roasting pan; place in oven and cook additional 25min until juices run clear (or until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 155F on meat thermometer).

Remove from oven, placing chicken to rest about 10min.
Carefully (with mitts) pour remaining beer into dressing a little at a time, while stirring until dressing is to desired consistency (I used about 80% of the contents) and discard the can.
Slice chicken and serve with dressing. Enjoy with a pint of Guinness.

Serves 4-6
Sláinte ~Marta