Roast Chicken Stuffed Potatoes with Mushroom Pan Gravy

Ingredients

• 1, 3-5 lb roaster chicken
• 2 tbsps Flavour Boost Salt
• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs like parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
• 1 tsp black pepper 
• 4 russet baker potatoes

Directions 

1. Rinse the chicken well under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
2. Mix the herbs, garlic, and lemon zest into the butter. Place onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a 6 inch tube as per the video. Chill for at least 10 minutes in the freezer until the butter is set and can be easily sliced into discs.
3. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken with 1-2 tsp of the Flavour Boost Salt
4. Slice the butter into silver dollar sized discs and place all over underneath the skin of the chicken as per the video.
5. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with the remaining Flavour Boost and the black pepper.
6. Place on a roasting rack in a shallow pan and roast uncovered for two hours or until the interior temperature reaches at least 165 degrees.
7. Let rest on the counter while you make the Mushroom Pan Gravy and roast the potatoes.

Baked Potatoes

Pierce potatoes all over with a fork and roast in a pre-heated 400 degree oven directly on the oeven rack for 90 minutes.

Mushroom Pan Gravy

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp reserved fat from the pan and all the drippings (brown bits)
• 6-8 sliced button mushrooms
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 2 cups chicken stock

Directions 

1. Drain the fat from the roasting pan leaving about a tbsp. Reserve the rest in case you need it.
2. Saute the mushrooms in the fat and drippings left in the pan over medium high heat in the roaster pan, making sure to use your spatula to scrape every last bit of flavour while sauteing.
3. When the mushrooms have released their water, add the flour to the pan and make a roux, adding additional reserved fat to the pan if needed - you are going to make a "paste" or roux with the flour and the pan drippings. keep stirring over medium heat for about 30 seconds to take all rawness out of the flour.
4. Add the sherry and whisk.
5. Add the chicken stock and continue to whisk until the gravy thickens.

To Assemble

1. Shred the chicken, mixing the white and dark meat.
2. Cut each potato in half and then fluff each by squeezing the ends and pushing forward (as per the video)
3. Place generous amounts of chicken on each potato half and drizzle generously with the mushroom pan gravy.
4. Reserve the leftover chicken for sandwiches, soup, stew, or Cornish Pasties.