Ricotta Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 whole roasting chicken, 4 to 5 lbs.
• 12 oz. ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Salt
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions

1. Rinse the chicken, then pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. To butterfly it, use poultry shears or a knife to snip down 1 side of the backbone, then follow the other side so you can remove the backbone and tail.
2. Open the chicken out with the skin facing up. Press firmly with your palms, or use your fists, until the bird lies flat, then tuck the wings underneath.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta with the egg, parsley, garlic, Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons chopped basil, and 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon. Stir until the mixture is evenly blended.
4. Starting from the neck end, use a sharp paring knife and your fingers to loosen the skin over the top of the chicken and the drumsticks. Work your hand carefully between the skin and the meat over the breasts, thighs, and drumsticks; take it slow, since the skin can tear.
5. Spoon the cheese mixture carefully beneath the loosened skin. Use your fingers over the outside of the skin to ease the filling into an even layer across the chicken and drumsticks.
6. Brush the chicken with a light coating of oil. Season it with 1/2 teaspoon basil and 1/2 teaspoon tarragon, then add paprika and a generous amount of salt.
7. For the oven method, heat the oven to 500 degrees F. Set the chicken, skin side up, on the rack of a roasting pan, put it in the oven, and right away lower the heat to 350 degrees F.
8. Or, set up a grill for medium indirect heat. If you are using gas, turn all burners to high until the grill is hot, then shut off the middle burner. If you are using charcoal, bank the coals along 1 side of the grill; under the grate on the side without coals, place a large aluminum drip pan and add a couple cups of water so the drippings do not burn. Put the chicken, skin side up, on the cooking grate, away from the coals for charcoal or over the turned-off middle burner for gas. Another option is to place the chicken on a rack inside a disposable aluminum roasting pan, then set the pan on the cooking grate. Cover the grill.
9. Cook the chicken for 1 hour, or until a fork pierced into the thigh releases clear juices. A meat thermometer should read 165 degrees F. If the skin darkens before the chicken is cooked through, cover it loosely with foil.
10. Move the chicken to a cutting board and let it stand for 10 minutes. Cut into quarters to serve.