Purim Stuffed Chicken

This is the quintessential recipe of the Purim meal in my family, a favorite from all. The chicken is juicy and savory, and pastas cooked with chicken juices taste delicious!



Serves 6
1 whole chicken
1/4 lb ground beef
1 egg
3 tbsp oil
1 pinch of saffron or turmeric
1 onion
1 small tomato
1 cup water
¼ cup almonds and ¼ cup pistachios, shelled
2 12 oz packages of wide egg noodles
1 cup frozen peas

Mix the ground beef with the egg, pistachios and almonds. Stuff the chicken with this mixture. Sew or tie the chicken closed to retain the stuffing. Sauté onion, tomato and turmeric with oil in a wide stock pot. Sauté the stuffed chicken in the pot until golden brown on all sides. Add water, cover, and cook on medium low heat for 30 to 40 minutes.
Gently lift the chicken out of the pot onto a serving dish and cover it immediately with aluminum foil. Add peas, salt, and water to the pot to a depth of 1/3 of its height (around 8 cups water). Bring to a boil, and add the noodles. Let it cook six minutes on medium heat, stirring from time to time. Lower the heat and cook five more minutes, stirring from time to time. Remove from heat, and cover the pot until you are ready to serve.


Untie the chicken, and remove stuffing which can be sliced on a serving plate. Carve the chicken as usual and serve with noodles. If desired, accompany the meal with red wine.

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