Recipe: Alice Aquino’s Chicken Relleno

1 (3-pound) chicken

Salt, pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 pound ground pork

1/4 pound lean bacon, chopped or coarsely ground

6 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup raisins

3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

1 egg

1 carrot, cooked and cut julienne, or 1/2 cup green peas, cooked

3 ounces cooked ham, cut julienne

2 Spanish chorizo de Bilbao or pepperoni, about 5 ounces

2 hard-cooked eggs, cut in halves

1 to 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Bone chicken for stuffing, leaving wing and drumstick bones intact. Season chicken to taste with salt and pepper and rub with soy sauce and lemon juice. Let stand at least 30 minutes. (Refrigerate if marinating longer than this time.)

Combine ground pork, bacon, cheese, raisins, pickle relish and egg. Mix well. Place chicken on board, skin side down. Place half of stuffing in boned cavity of chicken. Arrange carrot and ham strips, sausage and egg halves in rows on top of pork mixture. Cover with remaining mixture, stuffing boned thighs.

Bring 2 cut sides of chicken together. Fasten edges at 1-inch intervals with wood picks or skewers, then lace with string. Turn bird over and mold it back to resemble original shape. Tie legs with string and tuck wings akimbo. Place on rack in roasting pan and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes and remove foil. Continue baking additional 1 hour or more until golden brown, basting with melted butter. Collect drippings, if desired, and make flour gravy.

Remove skewers and string. Place on serving platter and garnish as desired with vegetables or fruit. Carve into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal or crosswise slices, starting from wing sides. Makes 10 to 12 servings.