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Good Ideas: Chicken & Stale Bread



So we all know that I love roasting chickens on Friday nights (when I am not making pizzas), and my newest obsession is baking bread.

Here is the most amazing delicious idea (well, maybe I'm getting a little overzealous about it).

I made that gorgeous fig walnut loaf from Lahey's book again, and after 2 days, the loaf is not super crisp and fresh anymore. So what to do with the stale bread?



Stale bread is so versatile. I usually make a bread pudding or revive the slices in a panzanella salad during the summer months, but here I was going to use them instead of making a stuffing to go with the chicken (which I only do at Thanksgiving, if we're really being honest here).



During the last 15 minutes of roasting the bird at 425F, I put a few big hunks of stale bread in the pan with the juices, turning them once, so each side of the bread gets nice and crisp.

The toasty hunks soak up all those delicious pan juices and taste like a savory bread pudding!



I served the meat over the toasted soppy slices and it was delicious!
No potatoes needed.



I love stale bread, and it loves me. xo

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Ciao Chow Linda said…
Oh boy. I am just imagining how crunchy and loaded with flavor that bread must be.
March 23, 2012 at 8:36 AM
nil said…
Inventive cook,

And so do I!!!!

Mil
March 23, 2012 at 8:46 AM
Faith said…
I LOVE this idea. I sort of have a thing for roasted chicken (can't get enough of it) and always have extra bread laying around to use up! I'm planning to buy a whole chicken today, so I'll be trying this soon!
March 23, 2012 at 9:01 AM
The Short (dis)Order Cook said…
Isn't that how stuffing kind of came about in the first place. I don't know why more people don't do this. I remember reading a story from one cook who talked about how her mother would butterfly a chicken and roast it on top bread cubes so they soaked up all of those juices! ARGH! You're making me wish I wasn't trying to cut out bread from my diet!
March 23, 2012 at 9:15 AM
Proud Italian Cook said…
You're so resourceful! I bet it takes outstanding, especially with the fig!
March 23, 2012 at 9:49 AM
Janice said…
OMG--I do this whenever I roast a chicken--I keep bit of stale bread in the freezer for this purpose. but I put mine in the pan right from the beginning. It is absolutely divine!
March 23, 2012 at 12:05 PM
Melbourne Girl said…
That is a brilliant idea! That'll be in my roasting pan next time I do a roast chicken.
Thanks Stacey.
Lesley
March 23, 2012 at 6:04 PM
Christine said…
Sounds and looks heavenly! There's a chicken in the freezer I should use and half a loaf of bread in there too (one person can only eat so much bread). This will be perfect!
March 23, 2012 at 6:06 PM
Joanne said…
All you had to say was "savory bread pudding" and I was enamored! Yum.
March 23, 2012 at 9:49 PM
tasteofbeirut said…
We review recipes here with my mom from her favorite source, Femme Actuelle, a magazine she subscribes to , and one she wanted to try was a roasted chicken with bread inside (in the form of croutons). I can just imagine how delicious your chicken was and you have reminded me that I need to make it with the bread too!~~
March 24, 2012 at 2:59 AM
Bites from life with the barking lot said…
My kinda food! Yum, all those juices and of course, chicken fat! Heaven! I'm up 7 lbs....how did that happen? Probably from baking your fig bread once a week! So none of this good stuff for me for a bit. I'll dream on though! Thanks Stacey. have a greet weekend. Are you "farming" yet? We still are snow covered, but the birds are out.
March 24, 2012 at 10:10 AM
Oui, Chef said…
Another brilliant and creative save....you're on a roll.
March 27, 2012 at 4:33 PM
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