Georgian Stuffed Chicken

Georgian Stuffed Chicken

2 5-pound chickens
6 tablespoons butter
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup basmati rice
 1/2 cup dried sour cherries, roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
 1/4 cup chopped parsley.

Remove any fat from cavities of chickens, and place fat in a wide saucepan. Add 4 tablespoons of the butter and place over medium heat. When butter melts, add onions and garlic. Sauté until onion softens and begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

Discard any remaining hard bits of chicken fat. Add rice and chopped cherries to pan. Stir well, and add 2 cups water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to as low as possible. Cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 425 degrees.

Season rice mixture with salt and pepper to taste and stir in parsley. Spoon rice into cavities of both chickens, and secure openings with toothpicks.  Place chickens in a roasting pan and rub with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Place in oven and roast until skin is crisp and golden and juices run clear when pierced near the thigh with a knife, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Discard toothpicks and allow chicken to rest before carving. Serve each portion of chicken with some stuffing.