Rangitikei Free Range Chicken with a Sweet Date and Onion Stuffing served on Wild Rice with Bell Pepper Sauce

1 whole, large free range Rangitikei  chicken

For stuffing:
2 tbsp   olive oil
2 tbsp   butter
1 ½ large onions, sliced
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp   La Dallia smoked paprika piccante
8 dates, diced
2 tbsp   chopped parsley
1 pinch of nutmeg

For Rice:
2 cups wild rice
1 ¾ litres of water
Murray River salt flakes

For the casserole:
1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 ½ cup white wine

For the sauce:
2 tbsp   extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp   garlic, roughly chopped
½ onion finely sliced
2 red peppers cut no seeds
1 cup white wine
1 tbsp   La Dalia smoked paprika piccante
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup cream
2 tbsp Murray River salt flakes

To garnish:
6 vine ripened tomatoes
6 tbsp  flat leaf parsley roughly chopped

For the stuffing:
Heat oil and butter over low to medium heat until butter has just melted. Add onions and gently cook for 10-15 minutes or until the onions are soft, but not browned. Stir through smoked paprika, dates, breadcrumbs, parsley and nutmeg, and then remove from the heat.
Stuff into the cavity of the chicken.

For the rice:
Place water with salt and rice in a large saucepan or stock pot. Bring to the boil and cook for approximately 1 hour or until rice has "popped" and is tender.

For the chicken:
Using good kitchen knife, scissors or poultry sheers, remove the chicken wing tips from the last joint and discard. Place stock and wine into a casserole dish. Add the chicken and season with salt. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes then cover and cook for a further 20 minutes or until cooked through.
Cut the chicken in half lengthwise, set the stuffing to the side to keep hot, then separate the leg from the breasts on each half. Then cut each breast in half and each thigh piece in half. You should be left with 8 even sized pieces. Keep hot until ready to serve.

For the Sauce:
Whilst the chicken is cooking:
Sauté the garlic, onion and peppers in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the white wine and smoked paprika and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the stock and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Now add the cream and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree in a food processor; if the sauce is too runny reduce in a pot to reach sauce consistency. Season with salt.

To Serve:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Prick the tomatoes three times, just breaking the skin around the calyx.  Place on an oiled oven tray and put in to the oven. Roast until the skins begin to blister and start to go black (about 15 mins)
Divide the rice between the plates top with stuffing and a chicken portion. Dress with sauce, then garnish with chopped parsley and vine-ripened tomatoes.