Stuff a Duck

Okay, this was a chicken, but I am counting it as "how to stuff and bake poultry." Awesome thing to learn, right? Heres to russian roommates in Tajikistan! This girl is a phd at NYU on Russian-Arab relations. And yes, she speaks both languages.)There are more recipes to come from Masha, but most I find hard to transcribe a) because the ingredients are russian and I have very little hope of finding them once I leave this, the land of the former soviet republics, and b) she always says she is "trying" a recipe. But I've wisened up and started taking photos the first time. Worry not.

Steps:

1. clean poultry and rub the skin and inside with salt and pepper

2. chop up your stuffins - in this case peaches and fresh herbs

3. stuff chicken/duck and put some more around the edges

**use a pan that fits snuggly the size of your poultry**

4. cover

5. bake at ~350F until you start to smell the distinct "cooked chicken" smell

6. uncover and allow to brown

7. cut into it to make sure it is actually cooked

**note: the pan will be FULL of juice by the end of this, especially if you use a lot of fruit. I am going to try to find a way to turn this into a gravy or just thicken it from the start. I do believe my mom can do that, so stay tuned...**

Ingredient ideas:

**Chicken with peaches, fresh mint, and some purple herb from the Tajiki Bazaar... no clue what it actually was, but when fresh herbs are 3-bunches for 25 cent... you just use what smells good and enjoy it! (Pictured here)

**Duck with Apples: halving the apples is enough before stuffing, but dont worry about dicing them up.