Roast Chicken with grape sauce

Ingredients :

• 1 x 1.6kg chicken
• 1 cup cracked wheat
• 1 cup boiling water
• ½ cup chopped chives
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• 2 tspn grated lemon rind
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tspn dried tarragon leaves
• 100g seedless white grapes, halved
• 50g butter, melted
• ground pepper, to taste
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tspn ground sweet paprika
  For sauce :
• ¼ cup plain
• ½ cup dry white wine or dry cider
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 300g seedless white grapes, halved
• ground pepper, to taste
• ½ cup cream

Preparation and Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cover cracked wheat with boiling water and allow to stand 15 minutes. Drain off excess water. Add chives, parsley, lemon rind, lemon juice, tarragon, grapes, all but 1 tbsp of butter, pepper and egg. Mix together well.
2. Rinse chicken and remove any loose tissue from cavity. Spoon stuffing into cleaned cavity and tie wings and drumsticks securely into place with string. Brush with remaining butter, sprinkle with paprika. Place on roasting rack over baking dish and bake for 1¼ - 1½ hours or until cooked. Remove from pan and stand covered for 10 minutes before carving.
3. To make sauce : Drain all but 3 tbsp of fat from the pan. Sprinkle over flour, stir to smooth paste, cook stirring until flour turns golden brown. Add wine and stock, stir until sauce comes to the boil. Add grapes and pepper, simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add cream just before serving.
4. To serve, carve chicken and arrange on a warm serving plate with stuffing. Pour sauce over chicken pieces and serve with roast vegetables.
5. Cooks notes : Roast chicken and meats should stand for approximately 10 minutes before carving to prevent juice loss. Cover with foil.